Still riding high off her 1st single of 2025, ‘Bugs’, Lizzie Esau is back with another relatable, surreal indie rock banger. Still following true to her promise of an indie sleaze revival in 2025, ‘A Day in the Life’ is the perfect emotional anthem, destined to fill the floors of house parties and nightclubs.
‘A Day In The Life’ has an eerie, ambient opening, with just the bassline and vocals working together to prepare the listener for the punchy, anthemic chorus. Its immersive soundscape reminds me of my first time listening to ‘Ribs’ by Lorde, just as the chorus hits and you’re drifting away into the glossy atmosphere, its gut wrenchingly relatable lyrics bring you back down to Earth at full speed. The juxtaposition between the lyrics and instrumentation expands the tunes versatility to suit any situation: from the drive home after a bad shift at work, to pre-drinks at your mates house before going on a night out.
Esau said the song is ‘an early 2000s dream come true’ and it certainly does live up to that, the combination of ethereal synths, distorted vocal effects and somber guitar riffs are a perfect ingredients for an indie sleaze hit that could easily be put behind a dramatic scene in Skins.
The song only gets better after seeing it live. I was lucky enough to catch Lizzie and her band at Summer Streets festival and it was certainly a highlight. It’s unusual for Esau to play to (in her words) a “deck chair crowd”, yet the quality of her performance clearly proved that great music can be enjoyed in all circumstances – sat in a deck chair or not. Lizzie absolutely dominated the stage with her Kate Moss getup and signature fairy wings. It’s hard to capture the energy of a fully rounded indie rock banger, complete with celestial synths and echoey vocals when taking to the stage as a 4 piece, yet Esau and her band managed to bring the single to life and even have the crowd signing along on its release day.
