Georgia Maq became something of a local hero as the leader of revered punk trio Camp Cope, calling out music industry sexism over fearsome indie rock salvos while garnering widespread international acclaim. In late 2019, Maq surprised everyone by releasing her solo debut, Pleaser, a refreshingly bright and catchy missive of electro-pop tunes about heartbreak and love. A suite of singles in ‘Someone Stranger’ with Alice Ivy, ‘Joe Rogan’, ‘tropical lush ice’, and a live EP recorded at the Sydney Opera House showcase the breadth of her taste and range.
Ever since, Georgia has chased a more genuine form of pop music in her solo career, a vision hat retains all of the glamour and universality but feels unburdened from capitalist underpinnings. Mining the evergreen themes of romantic, sexual, and self-love, Georgia Maq’s solo venture was not so much a transformation as it was a revelation. Opening up on her vulnerabilities and heartbreaks, her continued evolution is far beyond the Greek girl from Naarm that first set fire to the rain.
