“Gothic Summer is about the highs and lows of life,” The Veronicas’ Lisa Origliasso tells Apple Music. “Finding beauty, empowerment and self-love in the shadows and darker parts of life’s experiences.” Such stark emotional contrasts are mirrored by the musical diversity of the duo’s sixth studio album: from their trademark power-pop punk (“Perfect”, “Invisible”) and sleek disco funk of “Here to Dance” to the surf guitars that propel “Jungle” and, most surprising of all, their collaboration with Australian rapper Kerser on the emotionally charged “Savage”. Such stylistic range is, perhaps, a reflection of the fact that when Lisa and sister Jess began working with producer John Feldmann (The Used, All Time Low, 5SOS), there was no thought of even making an album. “Gothic Summer wasn’t planned,” says Jess. “We were just having fun creating songs in the studio with some friends, and at the end of it, we had an album.” Feldmann’s relationship with The Veronicas goes all the way back to 2007’s Hook Me Up. “He is the ultimate hype man and has a beautiful, positive energy in everything he creates,” says Jess. “He’s always down for anything different, which was amazing, because Lis and I get bored quickly, and we wanted to write songs with more ’60s and ’70s influence, which was a departure from the pop-punk style people know him for.” Now, pack your sunscreen as Jess and Lisa talk through the highs and lows of Gothic Summer. “Perfect” Lisa: “‘Perfect’ is about society’s compulsion with comparison and perception; urging greater self-love; and mastery of your own design. It’s a love letter to our younger and current selves. Perfection has a different meaning for everyone. Social media has changed how we interact with the world. Perception versus reality is rewarded and condemned. From what people wear, to who they date, it’s like a magnifying glass. We just want to remind everyone to empower themselves, and free their minds. We all die in the end; we have to live with and love ourselves fiercely, first and foremost. On our deathbeds the only opinion that will matter on how you’ve lived will be your own.” “Detox” Lisa: “‘Detox’ is a fusion of pop rock, ska, poetry and skate punk. It’s an exploration of the chaos and hypnosis of toxic relationships with others, and with yourself. Fighting emotional volatility and sinking euphoria with inspiration.” “Here to Dance” Jess: “[This] is based off the quote ‘dance like nobody’s watching’. Attention is currency—gossip and headlines used for clickbait means we’re normalising a toxic culture where gossip becomes the vehicle to line pockets. And that fuels a more rampant gossip culture than ever. So we wanted to remind ourselves not to let others define who you are, or your right to freedom and self-expression.” “Savage (feat. Kerser)” Jess: “‘Savage’ was inspired by an old relationship. The hurt and confusion with what happens when you wake up and realise too much has happened to get back to that place of respect and love. We’ve been huge fans of Kerser since his early records. He’s represented an aspect of Australian culture that’s different from what we have. We all have a shared passion for music, telling our stories, and how important our fans are in our careers.” “Invisible” Lisa: “‘Invisible’ paints a picture of different situations people find themselves in. It’s a basic human need to feel heard and understood. You expect truth to prevail always, and when it doesn’t, it can be really crushing.” “Ribcage” Lisa: “[This] is a love song about someone who has been hurt in the past, finding a safe space and true love for the first time in their life. We used more morbid references to describe falling in love.” “Jungle” Jess: “‘Jungle’ is our favourite song that embodies Gothic Summer. This song embodies stories that make you laugh so we don’t cry. Because that’s how life feels. Like a gothic comedy.”