HighSchool return with rushing immediacy in "Only A Dream"

Hailing from Melbourne and blending the Aussie sunshine with glamorous darkness, HighSchool relocated to London after a brutal set of lockdowns in their hometown. Though their situation spurred the creation of their brilliant, expansive debut EP Forever at Last, the band have been non-stop ever since with gigs alongside the likes of CHVRCHES, Mitski, and newcomers Wet Leg. Now that HighSchool are thoroughly back in the live game, they’ve shared their typical set closer "Only A Dream".

Flickering, rich, and theatric, HighSchool transport us to a dark-blue night and a glittering sky in "Only A Dream". It's sonically stratospheric with a sprawl of hazy guitar motifs and ethereal synths, yet, there’s something wonderfully intimate going on here too; that injects the energy of sweaty club sets and jumping around. There are two sorts of escapism at play here, and both are totally synergetic.

Produced by Dan Carey, (Fontaines D.C., Wet Leg, Squid production alumni and head of Speedy Wunderground), there's an intoxicating sense of legacy running through the track too. It shimmers with retro inflexions, toeing the line between familiar and otherworldly to hit that nostalgic sweet spot expertly under Carey’s steady hand.

On the songwriting process, HighSchool share “The process of making a song – from composing to recording to releasing – usually takes us ages. We labour every detail and do like 30 mixes before we’re happy. In this sense, working with Speedy has been a revelation. Completing the recording of an entire song in one day and completing the mix the next day was liberating. It taught us to be economical and concise, and not to sweat the small stuff. Dan is a total visionary and an absolute pleasure to work with. We’re super stoked with the result.”