Punko is the hypnotic pop project of Mulubinba / Newcastle – via – Naarm / Melbourne artist Liv Jansz. Plants Singing is Punko’s debut album.
Written, recorded and produced by Jansz at home in 2020 over a three month period, with extra production and mixing courtesy of Bonnie Knight (Amyl & the Sniffers), Plants Singing is an intimate exploration of transformation.
Through repetitive vocal mantras, layered synths and magnificently textured instrumentation, the raw and reflective debut sings listeners into a future version of themselves; one who is equipped to heal whilst inside Punko’s world of fantasy and abundance.
Plants Singing opens with Punko’s reckonings with society, past relationships and the rage of those whose bodies are not safe under the patriarchy, all the while hinting towards rebirth. The second half of the record sings listeners into the future, reflecting on moments of love and grief, spiritual awakening and a vision of hope that is interwoven throughout each song.
While Punko’s Liv Jansz has been a mainstay in Naarm / Melbourne’s music scene for close to a decade as an active member of multiple groups including Sui Zhen, Real Love and Hearing, it wasn’t until July 2019 that Jansz began writing and performing as Punko, scoring support slots with some of Australia’s most exciting acts including RVG, Jaala and SaD.
Once Covid hit in early 2020, Liv turned her attention to home recording and production. In 2021, Punko shared her first official single, ‘Undivided’, and announced her signing to Dinosaur City Records, joining the likes of Solo Career, Nick Griffith, Skydeck, Elmo Aoyama and Deuce.
Release: March 18, 2022, Dinosaur City Records