Babe Martin returns with ‘Sundog’
Babe Martin is the musical project of Zoë Larsen Cumming (she/her), a musician and songwriter based in Tāmaki Makaurau.
With a voice like velvet, and an acerbic deftness to her lyrics, Babe Martin is a performer on the rise. Her debut release, The Versoix EP in 2023, revealed a triptych of confident and arresting songs, and announced Larsen Cumming as a songwriter to watch. Since Versoix, Larsen Cumming has spent time crafting new music while performing in the bands of peers including Jazmine Mary, HINA and Isla Noon. The result of this period is the forthcoming EP Not A Bee, But A Wasp; where warm washes of violin, seascapes of piano and Larsen Cumming’s singular voice combine to create a sonic world beamed in from another time and place.
Today Babe Martin shares Sundog, the first new single from Not A Bee, But A Wasp. Co-produced by Larsen Cumming, Maude Minnie Morris and Navakatoa Tekela-Pule Sundog showcases Larsen Cumming’s skill as a composer and performer, and anticipates exciting horizons ahead for Babe Martin. Audiences can catch Sundog live when Babe Martin supports Jazmine Mary in Te Whanganui-a-Tara at Meow on July 31st and in Ōtautahi at Lyttelton Coffee Company on August 1st.
STREAM BABE MARTIN – SUNDOG
Sundog begins with the tolling bell of a piano and Babe Martin’s skillful glissando vocal. The track builds with searing violins, sparse guitar cues and splashing cymbals all amounting to a display of beauty with an undercurrent of menace.
“Sundog, in hindsight, is about patience. It feels like the calm before a storm. Change is on the way, but it’s not here yet, and you’re just waiting.” says Larsen Cumming. “To me, it feels suspended and calm, but with an eye on the horizon.”
“I was walking along an empty beach in the evening and my step-dad, who is an astrophysicist, suddenly became incredibly animated, pointing out a sundog that was setting over the hills of Whangamatā. There was something about it that felt significant to me, and the moment stuck with me for a while until eventually the song came.”
“While writing Sundog I wanted to capture the tension and mystery often found in TV and film soundtracks. I am very inspired by how composers tell a story without words and wanted to emulate that in the music. Pairing that with lyrics hopefully results in something quite evocative and powerful.”
With the track released Larsen Cumming feels a sense of invigoration. “I’m very happy to have Sundog ushering in the next Babe Martin chapter.”
For Sundog Larsen Cumming is joined by her live band Harry Thompson-Cook on guitar, Amy Borovich (HINA) is on violin along with Fen Ikner (Lips) on drums and Maude Minnie Morris on bass. The track was mixed by Navakatoa Tekela-Pule (LEAO, Erny Belle, Noa Records) who shares co-production credits along with Morris and Larsen Cumming. Sundog was mastered by Sunreturn label mate Amelia Berry (Amamelia, Van Staden & Böhm).
Photo Credit: Abigail Dell’Avo
