Partly recorded on a permanently moored boat just outside of London, Adelaide musician Delia Obst has debuted her first single and a new sonic direction with 'Kill Time', the first release from her upcoming and long-awaited EP, Take Shape.

The production and release of Adelaide musician Delia Obst’s first EP, Take Shape, has been an elongated experience.

In January 2017, Delia took to Lightship95, a studio fitted out in permanently moored boat on a dock just outside of London, to start the recording process. After a 22-month period of tinkering and refining, with additional recording in Adelaide and production in Melbourne, the first single, Kill Time, has finally been released.

“I’d imagined going over to London and doing it all then in the first go,” Delia says.

“It’s much longer than I anticipated, but also I’m a bit of a perfectionist so I probably could have seen it coming, if I really examined myself,” she laughs.

While the EP was crafted in many places, the feeling Delia wanted to convey in Kill Time is one very much rooted in Adelaide.

“The context is I lost someone very close to me and this song is just about that feeling of walking through the city at night and finding that loss completely disorientating, and I guess the song is about escapism and connection in that strange time,” she explains.

“There’s certainly a pretty strong theme of what to do about loss and grief and how identity sits alongside of that.

“It feels very much set in Adelaide to me, and we’ve just finished shooting the film clip here along Rundle Street and other places.”

The recording of Take Shape also saw Delia expand her solo sound, bringing London-based session musicians Danny Grant and Lucci Rossi (Dama Scout) into the studio. On Kill Time, the result is a sparse introduction that swells to a lush and enveloping soundscape punctuated by understated drums and hushed vocals.

“For me it sets the tone of the kind of music that I want to make, and throughout the process of recording the EP this one was my favourite,” Delia says.

“I had a strong idea of… what I wanted it to feel like when you listen to it, and that was probably the sticking point, that’s why I went back [to re-record] some of the songs.”

L-R: Lucci Rossi, Delia Obst and Danny Grant.

Take Shape is set for full release in early 2019, but the release of Kill Time was made ahead of Delia’s appearance at Porchland on Saturday, 24 November. This will be the third live performance of the EP in full, recreated with her live band, Kevin van der Zwaag, Mat Morrison and Jesse Davidson.

“Getting booked for Porchland meant a lot to me and was off the back of the EP and the full band sound. That was a vote of confidence for me moving forward and meant that I can actually release it,” Delia says.

“What they do, what Sharni (Honor, founder of Porchland) does, is really remarkable, and I see how hard she works at it to create something that’s really full of integrity and a unique and wonderful experience. She takes it very seriously, which is why I feel humbled, and excited really, to be on the lineup.”

Delia Obst on a boat.

The film clip for Kill Time will be released later in the year and was produced by Repeater Productions and Adelaide expat photographer Tash McCammon, who also documented Delia’s stint recording in London.

“Tash actually came over for both recording sessions and has always taken all of my photos and been a pretty important part of bringing this project together,” Delia says.

“It meant a lot to me to have someone that would then be involved in the whole vision of the EP and making the film clip.

“And then given it’s been a drawn out process, an unexpected benefit has been having someone who can keep me motivated to finish it or remind me why it’s important to finish it.”

Kill Time is available via Soundcloud. Stay tuned to Delia Obst’s channels for updates on the long-awaited EP’s official release and tour announcements.

You can catch Delia at Porchland on Saturday, 24 November, at The Range. For more information, see the event page.