Annabel Blackman is Sydney-based architect, artist, singer/songwriter and guitarist best known for her work in acclaimed indie rock act Body Type, an act that has released two critically applauded EPs supported with tours across Australia, the States and the UK with the likes of Fontaines D.C., POND, Alex Cameron, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and stops at SXSW, The Great Escape, Hit The North, and Live at Leeds. Simultaneously, Blackman has written, recorded, produced and mixed material with her bedroom pop, solo recording project Solo Career, which has begun to receive attention locally and nationally while opening for the likes of Goon Sax, Good Morning, RVG and Sasami. Live, Blackman is joined by Body Type’s Cecil Coleman (flute), a development that occurred after living together and recording a flute part late one night.

Blackman’s Solo Career debut, The Sentimentalist EP is slated for a September 17, 2021 release through Dinosaur City Records. The Sentimentalist’s first single “Movie” is a hazy and slinky track centered around buzzing guitars, a lurching and propulsive groove and Blackman’s sultry vocals. Released last month, the Dirty Ghosts-like “Movie” has received praise by Paper Magazine while landing on Spotify playlists like New Music Friday, Indie Arrivals, The Local List, Fuzzy and Fresh Finds and has been added to the airplay rotation on Perth’s RTRFM, Melbourne’s SYN Radio, Sydney’s FBi Radio and 2SER.

Written, shot and directed by Madeleine Purdy, the recently released video for “Movie” was shot on Super 8 and follows Blackman dressed in a star costume and a cast of friends in eclectic costumes at a surreal costume party set in Blackman’s hometown.

I haven’t gone to a costume party in over a year, or many parties generally, or gigs because of COVID,” Madeleine Purdy explains in press notes. “Those things are a half forgotten dream almost. The vision for the music video was almost an intentional misremembering of the simple pleasure of hijacking a car to get to a concert, enjoying it, and later fantasising that it was ME on stage. Sometimes I have an espresso then a valium and have a hideous little nap filled with what I call ‘goblin dreams’.”

Blackman adds “We visited a few local [Port Kembla] landmarks once the sun had set, such as the steelworks, the Breakwater Battery Museum (where the white pyramid tank traps are), Port Kembla beach, a patch of shrubs, and of course, my backyard with the lovely tree stumps,” Blackman adds. “My housemates and I have questioned the real estate’s decision to destroy all the trees in the yard, but I’m happy the stumps made the cut. I secured a small crew of friends to star in the video by giving them very little information about what we were doing, where and how long, and pulled together all the costumes with Purdy about half an hour before we started filming. I made the star prop a few days before we shot using cardboard, expanding foam and spray paint, and then had to go on an emergency extra trip to Bunnings after I glued my hand together with the construction foam. Anyway I eventually sanded my hand back to normality and it all worked out with the video. The end.”