HABITS Make Anxiety-Ridden Club Bangers

Newsflash: life in the music industry isn't quite all it's made up to be. That definitely won't come as a surprise to some, but if you needed proof, the biggest ever study of its kind found that over 70 precent of musicians were found to have experienced anxiety and panic attacks in their lives. Those numbers go hand in hand with a growing list of artists —from Kid Cudi to Stormzy to Billy Corgan—who are using their platform to open up the discussion around mental health and the stigma that surrounds it.

When it comes to Melbourne band HABITS—Mohini Hillyer and Maia Connolly—you can literally hear the anxiety seep all the way down into their music. The duo, who touch down in New Zealand for shows in Auckland and Wellington next week, describe their songs as "anxiety-ridden club bangers". Break-ups, depression, unemployment and the same clichéd need to make the music they always have are some of the driving forces behind their material, they say. But at the same time, mental health is very much the biggest hindrance to their productivity as well.

"The anxiety comes in when we don't think we're doing enough or how much we want to let listeners into our personal lives, lyric-wise. Sometimes we think about how much easier our run would have been if we were both white and cis and straight and male, but ultimately it's those facets of our identities which have shaped us as people and as artists, and which gives our work its 'meatiness' and power."

'Shame/Desire' is their latest single and it's one they candidly describe as "an apology for being a piece of human garbage who will never change". The song, as they put it, came from a place of recognising shitty behavioural patterns in relationships. "When you're in a dark place emotionally and act out in toxic ways, sometimes you step outside yourself for a second and you're just like 'why are you torturing this person?' but you're either powerless to change yourself or you're too proud and lazy to."

Despite the description, the song is actually a little more accessible than anything you'll find on their debut EP, Ugly Cry. At first, it came together as a slow jam, "like a discount-bin FKA Twigs track", but the song's initial lack of energy made them think things over. "We got into the Her Records producers and Qween Beat producers as well as the incredible BV (formerly known as Black Vanilla) and just did a full remix with a more high-octane vibe and added that 'delete me' bridge and, voilà de joie de c'est la vivre la la la, we had a track."

As for their forthcoming New Zealand tour, well … we'll just let them explain. "Whenever we hit any stage we know that, for that night, it fucking belongs to us and we spill all of our disgusting rage and fire and horniness all over it." Enough said.

HABITS play shows in Wellington and Auckland next week. Find out everything you need to know over on Facebook .