Ana Veira, front woman of Western Sydney-based alt rockers, Hurst, is making waves in the music industry with the release of her band’s self-produced second EP, Sadface. Featured in Triple J Unearthed’s segment Fierce Frontwomen, Ana is an outstanding vocalist and an empowering figure for female artists in the Australian music industry.

This is not Hurst’s first time in the music spotlight, with two singles, the searing anthem, Rattle Kids, and the raucous Purple and Green receiving airplay on Triple J and capturing the attention of various music blogs around the world earlier in the year. Written, recorded, and produced entirely by the band, Sadface proves that genuinely great music can be produced regardless of budget.

Initially starting out as a project to push their own boundaries with limited funds, the experiment slowly evolved into preparation for Sadface. Drums were tracked in a huge thousand-seater church on New South Wale’s Central Coast, while the rest of the band laid down their parts in the bedrooms and pantry’s of their own homes. “We got to a point where we just wanted to get our music out there, rather than stay dormant and be limited by the money in our wallets,” Ana says. “I admit, I was incredibly reluctant with the idea of doing it without a producer in a proper studio, but the boys have totally come through and we’ve all grown a lot closer as a band and as people.”

Ana derives inspiration from her own experiences, artfully weaving emotion, wisdom, and meaningful messages into the band’s songs. It is no wonder Hursts’ music resonates with audiences around the globe. “The six tracks from Sadface are a loud execution of that internal conflict I face with the hope that these songs would remind me to pursue real joy, regardless of what’s happening around me or to me… simply put, I penned these lyrics to give myself a reason to get out of bed and kick life in the head and keep creating,” Ana says. “The boys and I worked to create something raw, punchy and exhilarating… despite all things, we created fun from sad things.” Hurst will be on tour around Australia until November.

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