Shaylee Curnow, better known as Peach PRC, has finally released her debut album Porcelain, a significant departure from the candy-coloured, hyper-online aesthetic that made her a TikTok sensation. The album, out now, marks a new chapter for the singer, who has traded her pink hair for brunette locks and embraced a more natural, earthy vibe.
Peach, who came out as a lesbian in 2022, says the album reflects a period of comfort and security with her sexuality. 'I think I did all of the inner work of figuring it all out, and I felt like I shared what I needed to share, and now I’m at a lot of peace with it,' she explains. The album includes tracks like Out Loud, which touches on closeted queer longing, but overall, it's a celebration of her identity.
Recorded in Sweden, Los Angeles and Byron Bay, Porcelain showcases a bolder production style and sees Peach singing in her natural Australian accent after years of masking it. She also drew on her synaesthesia to shape songs like Piper, asking herself, 'What instrument would a rose play? What would a wet rock sound like?'
The album balances fizzy fun with sincere moments, as heard on tracks like Eucalyptus, where Peach finds unexpected spiritual connection. 'A lot of my inspiration for songwriting in the past has come from quite dark places and trying to heal,' she says. 'So going outside and looking for new inspiration, and it’s actually positive, beautiful and enlightening, is really nice.'
Peach is currently on her Wandering Spirit tour, where she performs in plant-inspired costumes and alongside a snake plant hooked up to electrodes. 'On the [new] songs that are a bit slower and very diaristic, people are so quiet and really listening,' she notes. 'Usually by the third chorus, I can hear a few voices singing along to the words.'
Despite the album's earthier themes, Peach's signature humour remains intact. On the song Oasis, she sings: 'I’ve never read the Bible / But I’ve smoked a page or two.' She explains, 'I try to balance some heavy topics sometimes, and it can come off quite pretentious or self-gratifying if you don’t humanise it a little. I have this very profound thought that I want to share in this song, but also, like, I’m just a regular idiot.'
