Ella Sweeney's debut self-titled EP is out now
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Naarm/Melbourne based singer Ella Sweeney recently released her debut self-titled EP. To celebrate the release, and get you through the next four weeks, the singer has put together her Top 10 Best Reads During Lockdown, and even paired each book with a song to listen to!
Whilst finishing the EP, I worked in a coastal book store and binged on Chicken Twisties. Here are some of my favourite reads to get you through lockdown and beyond:
1. Funny Weather: Art In An Emergency by Olivia Laing A favourite of 2020. Laing’s essays cover a range of artists across multiple mediums. Not to mention her incredible taste and wit.
Song to listen to whilst reading: Thats us/Wild Combination (Arthur Russell)
2. Intimations by Zadie Smith
A brilliant take on COVID-19 and modern living. Also, it’s Zadie Smith.
Song to listen to whilst reading: A Lot’s Gonna Change (Weyes Blood)
3. Who Gets to be Smart by Bri Lee Bri Lee is an amazing writer and paints an honest picture of private education and academia. I also appreciate her subtle use of humour throughout this urgent and political book.
Song to listen to whilst reading: Beware of the Dogs (Stella Donnelly)
4. Americanah by Chimamnda Ngozi Adichie
One of my favourite novels of all time; political and romantic (apparently it’s possible).
Song to listen to whilst reading: Manhattan (Cat Power)
5. Factory 19 by Dennis Glover This is an odd choice. But I picked up a reading copy of this book at work and couldn’t put it down. A weird, dystopian tale of Tasmania in 2020. Bizarre, frightening and at times hilarious.
Song to listen to whilst reading: Love Is The Future (Hot Chip)
6. Deborah Levy’s living memoir trilogy (The Cost of Living, Things I Don’t Want to Know, Real Estate) I thoroughly enjoyed reading this trilogy. What a woman. What a writer.
Song to listen to whilst reading: Patterns Of Nature (Sweet Whirl)
7. Stoner by John Williams
I see what the hype is about. Melancholy, at times relatable and certainly worth its newfound critical regard.
Song to listen to whilst reading: Riding For The Feeling (Bill Callahan)
8. Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon Kim Gordon is Sonic’s Youth shining light (there, I said it). A brilliant take on what it means to be a woman and play music amidst a sea of sausage. Ha.
Song to listen to whilst reading: Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl by Broken Social Scene
9. Friends & Dark Shapes by Kavita Bedford A portrait of contemporary life in Sydney: share-house politics, dating mishaps and unattainable real estate.
Song to listen to whilst reading: Sprawl II (Arcade Fire)
10. Weather by Jenny Offill
All the things you’re thinking but don’t know how to say. I would recommend this book to anyone experiencing climate dread and to anyone with a quirky sense of humour.
Song to listen to whilst reading: The End of the World (Sharon Van Etten)
Ella Sweeney is out now! Listen to the release below.
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