Anika Louise knows exactly what she’s writing about, and ‘Thorns’ makes sure you feel it. The Boorloo/Perth-based indie-folk singer-songwriter releases her second single today, a tender and cutting track about the slow realization that someone you trusted was never quite who they appeared to be. Built on softly strummed acoustic guitar, warm electric lines, twanging banjo, and subtle piano, the song earns every emotion it reaches for.
The metaphor at the song’s centre is deceptively simple. “Something beautiful on the surface that was hiding thorns underneath,” Anika Louise explains. That image unfolds across the track with confessional lyricism and lilting melodies that swell and soften in turns, making ‘Thorns’ feel like a journey rather than a single moment. It’s achingly real, grounded in vulnerability without losing its shape.
The single follows her 2025 debut ‘Pearl’ and arrives with genuine local momentum behind it. Anika Louise has performed on national television for Telethon at RAC Arena, earned a WAM Song of the Year nomination, and opened for the Perth Symphony Orchestra at the Pop’N’Rock Symphony Concert. For just her second release, the attention is well-earned and the foundation is already solid.
‘Thorns’ is out now. Anika Louise celebrates with a single launch show Sunday, May 3 at Perth’s Four5Nine.
Single Launch:
May 3 – Four5Nine, Boorloo (Perth)