Sweet Temper Reveal Debut Single, ‘Two Face’

Naarm/Melbourne-based neo-soul act Sweet Temper have just unveiled their ardent debut offering ‘Two Face‘ – produced by guitarist Nick Robertson, mixed by Phil Threlfall (Illy, Bliss n Eso) and mastered by Andrei Eremin (Haitus Kaiyote, Tash Sultana).

‘Two Face’ is a swirling mix of rich instrumentation, syncopated bass lines and the forthright storytelling of frontwoman Abbey Green. Funk-laden guitars, splashing ride cymbals and slick keyboard runs meld together with dynamic proficiency, creating an effortless fluidity that exudes a confidence seen only from the best live performers.

The band talk about the meaning behind ‘Two Face’:

“‘Two Face’ specifically focuses on calling out toxic behaviour in relationships. It puts manipulators and abusers in the spotlight, centring on situations where they may act charming and lovingly in one setting but behave harmfully in others. The overall message is developing the strength to directly expose abusers and walk away from such situations.”

To accompany the release is the lively music video shot at Bakehouse Studios in Quo-yung/Richmond and directed by Greta Reginato. The story focuses on lead singer Abbey and her boyfriend attending a show. The band expand on the clip’s themes, “Throughout the show, Abbey’s boyfriend consistently neglects her and starts chatting up another girl. This eventually leads to the boyfriend cheating on Abbey with the other girl. Abbey, performing the song and having witnessed her boyfriend’s betrayal, uses the stage as a platform to call out his toxic behaviour and put him in the spotlight so the rest of the audience can see what he has done.” 

Sweet Temper is the musical amalgamation of five former Australian Institute of Music (AIM) students who take cues from luminaires like Hiatus Kaiyote. Nick adds, “Though we all have very different musical backgrounds, our styles have an inherent synergy. We got together shortly after our final graduation in early 2020. We have an approach where we create an instrumental that Abbey will take a vibe or mood from, then develop ideas of a plot to that mood. She’ll then write lyrics best suited to that mood.”