The Echo of Endings: Joyce Prescher and Lachlan Bryan Unveil a Haunting Collaboration
By Christian Lamitschka for Country Music News International Magazine
Joyce Prescher, the Dutch-born, Melbourne-dwelling artist whose past albums “Home” and “Out of My Mind” have gracefully navigated themes of isolation and alienation, continues to weave her delicate musical tapestries. Now, she’s stepping into a new collaborative light, offering deeply personal interpretations of others’ works alongside Australian troubadour Lachlan Bryan. Their latest offering, “Nothing Really Ends,” a reimagining of a dEUS classic, is far more than a cover; it’s an intimate conversation between past and present, memory and melody.
Prescher’s initial foray into this collaborative series, a cover of Absynthe Minded’s “My Heroics,” has already garnered significant attention, resonating across Australian airwaves and even finding a home on over 50 American public radio stations via The International Americana Music Show. But “Nothing Really Ends” holds a unique significance for Prescher. It’s a track originally penned by Belgian band dEUS, a group that has soundtracked her life since the mid-nineties. “They’ve been with me throughout my life, and I always come back to them,” Prescher explains. “This song, to me, has this depth, this melancholy, but also a sense of calm and peace.”
The choice of “Nothing Really Ends” as the first song recorded in this collaborative venture with Bryan feels almost fated – a beginning marked by a song about endings. This version, premiered on Vital Bits/3RRR, unfurls with a cinematic grace. Layered guitars, subtle strings, and a rhythm that simmers rather than rushes create an expansive yet intimate soundscape. Prescher and Bryan’s voices intertwine, trading lines like two individuals sifting through a shared, complex memory. It’s an arrangement that builds richness without sacrificing the song’s inherent vulnerability, revealing new nuances with each listen.
Lachlan Bryan, known for his masterful storytelling whether solo or with The Wildes and The Pleasures, approaches the collaboration with a refreshing spontaneity. “We recorded this song fast, in a very instinctual kind of way,” he shares. “We would grab hold of the instrumental hook from the original and try and reimagine it, but because I didn’t know the song very well it quickly became its own thing. I was learning it from Joyce rather than from dEUS, and I think that’s part of the charm.” This organic approach allows their interpretation to breathe, taking on a life separate from the original while still honoring its spirit.
The emotional landscape of “Nothing Really Ends” – a blend of longing, ambiguity, and resignation – serves as a poignant reflection of Prescher and Bryan’s shared experiences during Melbourne’s pandemic lockdowns, spent on long walks and deeper conversations through empty streets. There’s a palpable tension within the song, yet it’s underscored by a profound acceptance. “It doesn’t scream, it just lingers,” Prescher muses. “That’s what I love about it. To me it’s about understanding that endings aren’t always clear. Sometimes, the things we think are over never really leave us. They’re always there, in some form.”
“Nothing Really Ends” beautifully captures this fragile notion—the enduring presence of what has seemingly passed. It transforms a deeply personal song from Prescher’s youth into something even more intimate and universally resonant through the lens of collaboration. With this second release, Joyce Prescher continues to unveil her multifaceted artistry, not just as a songwriter, but as a thoughtful interpreter, a careful curator of her own musical history, and a compelling collaborator. These aren’t just songs she admired from afar; they are pieces of her past, now thoughtfully reshaped and re-voiced with a profound sense of care and shared understanding.