New Zealand-based pop duo Foley have released their new single, “Better Than Love,” the final single from their upcoming EP, ‘Vacation,’ due out on March 15th.
Grounded by mellow pop grooves and honeyed vocals, “Better Than Love” is a dreamy exploration of the prospect of love versus the reality of love and the way we close ourselves off from emotion to save yourself from future heartbreak. When love is so built up to us as extravagant, dramatic and awe consuming, how can it ever live up to our expectations? (“The thought of you is better than love”). The tight friendship between Foley’s Ash Wallace and Gabriel Everett allows them to write openly and vulnerably with each other and “Better Than Love” is a testament to that. For this single, the duo also brought in their close collaborators and longtime friends Josh Naley (Wells*) and Jonathan Boyle (Julius Black).
“This song was incredibly therapeutic for me – coming from a place of fear and mistrust and finally saying it out loud. Gabe has been in a relationship for a long time, and by comparison being thrown into something completely new and terrifying, it’s the first time the two of us have had really contrasting experiences like this in our writing. When you have been hurt in the past you get into the mindset that nothing can be as good as it seems. I felt at one point like I shouldn’t try anymore because the way I built love up in my head could never be reached in reality. Self sabotage is really powerful and you end up manifesting disappointment instead of hoping for something great.”
– Ash Wallace, Foley
Foley is the late night conversations, not-so-existential crises & the genuinely unbreakable friendship of 20-somethings Ash Wallace and Gabriel Everett. Honest to a fault, Foley have quickly picked up a fanbase of young like-minded listeners for their confessions of love, loss and learning. Their debut EP ‘On My Conscience,’ was released in 2020 and saw huge success across commercial radio and streaming platforms, hitting #10 on the NZ Album Charts and plastered the pair across multiple Spotify playlist covers. They rounded out the year with the release of singles “Rendezvous” and “So Personal,” which will join “Better Than Love” on their upcoming sophomore EP, ‘Vacation,’ out on March 15th.
In addition to their streaming success, Foley have graced New Zealand’s largest New Years festival Rhythm & Vines 3 times, most recently playing a main-stage slot on New Year’s Eve. The pair have also shared the stage with Two Door Cinema Club, Flight Facilities & Crooked Colours at indie fest Spring City, and opened for Drax Project on their NZ tour and Six60’s stadium show in Hamilton early in 2020.