Hachiku – the project of German-Australian singer-songwriter Anika Ostendorf – has returned with a new single entitled ‘Time Wasted Worrying’. It marks their first song released on London-based indie label Marathon Artists, following the closure of Ostendorf’s former label Milk! Records (run by Courtney Barnett) last year. Ostendorf both wrote and produced the new single, which marks her first in nearly three years following her 2021 duet with Jen Cloher, ‘Fairytale in the Supermarket’.
“When I was around five, my grandmother told me: ‘If you don’t have a thought in your mind, you’ll die’,” said Ostendorf about ‘Time Wasted Worrying’. “I internalised this, fearing sudden death, and don’t think I have stopped thinking since. I have now learned the value of a calm and quiet mind and recognised that I indeed spend a lot of wasted time worrying. This song is like a little reminder to myself to take care of myself, be kind and self-compassionate and [to] take it easy.”
Hachiku – ‘Time Wasted Worrying’
The music video for the single, which can be viewed above, was co-directed by Mike Ridley alongside Ostendorf herself. In the clip, she is joined by bandmates Jessie Warren and Georgia Smith in frolicking across parks in the northern suburbs of Melbourne where the trio reside. “I wanted the video to feel celebratory, joyful, and accepting,” said Ostendorf.
“[There’s] nothing more fun and carefree than blowing bubbles, throwing cartwheels and exerting more energy than I have in the last 10 years combined.” Ridley, for his part, added that “the vibe and feeling [was] the main focus” when he and Ostendorf were co-directing the clip. “We knew what we wanted the viewer to feel while watching this, and the essence of the song that we wanted to express,” he said.
“This meant we didn’t need to have a rigid structure and had the freedom to improvise and come up with things on the fly. Shooting on 16mm film also felt conducive to this approach, not being able to watch back what we shot and knowing that everything we shot would have its own character and unique feel to it.”
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