darcy fox’s new single ‘lifting weights’ is a ballad of vulnerable resilience
The queer singer-songwriter is back with a track that flexes her strengths.
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Darcy Fox has made a name for herself in Naarm/Melbourne’s music scene. In her latest release, ‘Lifting Weights’, Fox cements her place as folk music favourite, and shows off her greatest strength: her heart-aching vulnerability.
Fox’s masterful story-telling has become her calling card, and it’s evident to all in her upcoming track as her poignant, honest lyrics soar above the simple production.
“The weight of the world is on your shoulders / but ain’t it always been that way?
The burden of the eldest daughter / the kid who had to grow up before she had time to play”
‘Lifting Weights’ is an ode to Fox’s wife - an intimate acknowledgement of her mental health struggles, and a promise of strength. The title, a wholesome play on words, refers to Fox’s preparedness to emotionally support her.
“You’ve been standing tall / you’ve been acting tough
I know your face is brave / but you’ve had enough
If I can’t save the day / you’ve got all my love
But I’ve been lifting weights / so I can hold you, hold you up”
Despite it being a personal story, Fox has crafted a narrative that will strike a chord with many, as all great songwriters do. Whether you’re having a hard time, or the one doing the supporting - or you’re both, as we so often are - you’ll relate to the raw emotion pouring from every note.
“I see the little kid inside you / and I couldn’t love her any more
And every moment I will try to / keep her safe and take away the pain / of all that she’s endured”
Fellow songwriters Lucy Dacus and Missy Higgins are permanent inspirations for Fox’s music, and so it’s no surprise that she has been compared to these cult-favourite artists throughout her career. Like Dacus, Fox prides herself on telling real, queer stories that aren’t about being queer.
“My love songs are love songs and my sad songs are sad songs. My queerness is incredibly important to me, and I want to be loud about that. But it’s not the subject matter of all of my songs - it’s just the lens through which I live my life.”
Elaborating on the inspiration for the track, Fox says:
“My wife is neurodivergent and a classic eldest daughter, who feels like she has to fix everything and be ‘perfect’ all the time. I wrote thing song to remind her that she doesn’t have to carry everything on her own any more.”
It’s the first we’ve heard from Darcy this year, and it’s a triumphant return. The Melbourne-based singer-songwriter took some time off to focus on writing, after delivering her stellar sophomore album, ‘Cameron Street’ in late 2023.
“I put all I had into that album and knew I needed to give myself the space to work out what my next move would be. I’ve written a lot of songs, and I’m excited to finally start sharing them.”
praise for darcy
“Equal parts Gretta Ray, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, Fox flexes her ability to make you tap your feet while she rips your heart out.” - BEAT Magazine
“Fox’s grounded lyrics are rooted in lived experience and flooded with searing honesty and imagery: A dramatic, sweeping effort that takes the ears and mind by storm.” - Forte
”Darcy Fox brings a beautiful and honest energy to her music, spitting some of the rawest verses we’ve heard in a long time.” - Bored City
"She grabbed our attention from the first listen.” - Lost in the Nordics
‘Lifting Weights’ is out on 11 April, 2025.
For publicity, bookings or enquiries: management@darcyfoxmusic.com
All promotional images courtesy of Lucinda Goodwin Photography.