There are some feelings you can postpone, bury, or pretend you’ve moved beyond, but that doesn’t mean they’ve actually disappeared. navy june explore that uncomfortable reality on their latest single, “routine avoidance,” a deeply personal track that finds the Perth/Boorloo indie outfit caught somewhere between emotional attachment and the desperate need to finally let go.
Released Friday, August 21, the song follows January’s “mister” and arrives after an especially busy period for the band. navy june have spent the year building their presence across the Western Australian live scene, appearing at Bloom Fest, Blues at Bridgetown, and Spaced Out Fest, while sharing stages with artists including Old Mervs, Great Gable, The Vanns, Death By Denim, Fool Nelson, Cheeky Leash, Sophian, Ruby Hoo, Nana’s Pie, Devon Street, and Darcie Haven.
Their momentum has also been recognized through a WAM Song of the Year nomination, making “routine avoidance” another significant step forward for a band continuing to establish its voice. What makes the new single particularly compelling is how naturally navy june move between intimacy and intensity.
The track initially feels almost fragile. Its acoustic foundation and understated bedroom-folk atmosphere create the impression that we’re being invited into something private almost like overhearing a thought that was never meant to be spoken aloud. Then the song begins to expand.
Fuzz-covered guitars gradually introduce a heavier emotional weight, while the drums provide the momentum for the track to move beyond its quiet beginnings. The vocals and layered harmonies carry an unmistakable ache, transforming what could have been a simple heartbreak song into something much more emotionally complicated. “routine avoidance” isn’t really about heartbreak itself. It’s about what comes after.
It’s about replaying conversations, questioning what went wrong, craving validation from someone you know you need to leave behind, and realizing that avoiding the pain doesn’t necessarily prevent it from following you. Ruby Barton-Taylor describes the song as being rooted in heartbreak, resilience, and reclaiming personal control, explaining that it follows the emotional spiral of wanting someone’s validation while simultaneously knowing that moving forward requires letting them go.
That conflict sits at the heart of the track. Rather than wrapping everything up with a neat conclusion, navy june allow the uncertainty to remain. There’s no forced moment where everything suddenly makes sense. Instead, “routine avoidance” captures the much more realistic process of healing the messy, repetitive, occasionally frustrating journey of learning how to exist without the person or situation that once occupied so much emotional space.
The result is bittersweet in the best possible way.
“routine avoidance” feels like the musical equivalent of finally admitting something you’ve been trying not to think about. It begins quietly, almost cautiously, with an acoustic-driven arrangement that gives the song an intimate quality. There’s an innocence to these opening moments, but underneath that softness is an obvious sense of unease. You can almost feel the emotional tension waiting for the song to crack open.
And it does. When the electric guitars arrive, navy june completely change the temperature of the track. The fuzz adds grit without overpowering the songwriting, while the drums give the song the kind of emotional lift that makes the transition from folk-inspired intimacy into indie-rock catharsis feel completely natural.
It’s an excellent example of dynamics being used as storytelling. The quieter moments feel like reflection. The louder moments feel like everything you’ve been holding inside finally escaping.
| Upcoming Shows Friday, September 4 – Lunar Fest, Fremantle | Tickets Supports include: Symmetrical Dogs, Jack Hamilton, Slow Horse, Oakabella Mae, Clare Perrott, Free Aviary, CNTR, Nugzy Sunday, September 6 – Sullivan Hall, Fremantle | Tickets Supports include: Caitlin Mias, Nadya Kadisha |
| Follow navy june https://linktr.ee/navyjuneband Spotify | Apple Music | BandcampFacebook | Instagram | TikTok |
Leave a Reply