Reetoxa, the Melbourne project led by singer-songwriter Jason McKee, transforms personal experiences into music on “Double A Side 2 (Akaroa / Erica And The Stars).” Across four songs, the EP explores grief, memory, vulnerability, imagination, and the possibility of finding hope when life feels impossible to understand. It is an intimate release that also reaches outward, asking listeners to consider how creativity can help us make meaning from experiences that resist easy answers.
“Akaroa” began with a vivid dream during an extraordinarily difficult chapter in McKee’s life. The mysterious name stayed with him, even though he initially knew nothing about Akaroa in New Zealand. Years later, arriving in the coastal town during a cruise, the dormant musical idea returned with unexpected force. McKee experienced a profound sense of connection there and finally completed the composition that had first appeared to him years earlier. The song therefore carries an unusual relationship between memory, place, and artistic instinct.
“Erica And The Stars” emerged from another period of intense personal struggle and became an important creative outlet. Its defining feature is the Budapest Orchestra, performing an arrangement McKee had imagined internally. That transition from an idea held in the mind to a fully realized orchestral recording gives the composition considerable emotional significance. The song ultimately moves toward imagery of escape, confrontation, and release, translating inner turmoil into an expansive musical narrative.
The EP’s production reflects an exceptional collaborative effort. Simon Moro produced, mixed, and mastered the project, with Luke Crouch engineering the band sessions at The Avenue Recording Studio in Cheltenham, Victoria. Terry Hart contributes piano, James Ryan of Men at Work plays guitar, Kit Riley adds bass, and Peter Martin of JET performs drums. Jessica McPherson-Riley of The Voice Australia provides backing vocals, while McKee handles vocals, songwriting, and arranging.
Reetoxa’s broader identity is shaped by decades of songwriting and a determination to create music with emotional intelligence. His previous album, Soliloquy, established a foundation for this increasingly ambitious body of work, while respected collaborators bring additional depth and musicianship to his arrangements.
“Double A Side 2” ultimately stands as a reflection on survival, remembrance, and artistic renewal. Reetoxa does not pretend difficult experiences are simple; instead, the EP searches for beauty within complexity. By connecting human vulnerability with orchestral scale, McKee creates music that encourages reflection, compassion, and inner awareness while demonstrating how a songwriter can transform personal history into something meaningful for others.
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