Top Shelf

About this Song

There’s nothing quite like spending an entire Friday night getting ready for a man who turns out to have the personality of a lukewarm beer... Perth-based country artist Siobhan Cotchin knows the feeling, and she’s turning it into something useful. Arriving Friday 13 November, new single ‘Top Shelf’ is a cheeky, sharp-witted take on modern dating, self-worth and the art of finally raising your standards. Blending country swagger with rock ’n’ roll grit and pop sensibility, it finds Cotchin at her most playful, fiery and unapologetic yet. “I finally realised I deserve better than settling for whoever happens to be standing in front of me,” says Cotchin. “I’m top shelf. The good stuff. The bottle you have to ask the bartender to get the little ladder for.” Written with Francesca De Valence during BIGSOUND in Brisbane, ‘Top Shelf’ began, as many great songs do, with a rant. After swapping stories about dating disasters and being ghosted, the pair had a song on their hands within a couple of hours. Its killer line, “I’m not taking myself off the top shelf just ’cause you can’t reach it”, says it all: knowing your worth is one thing, but refusing to make yourself smaller for someone else is another. Equal parts self-deprecating and self-assured, the track pokes fun at the questionable decisions we make in the name of romance, from shaving your legs for a date to sacrificing a Friday night with your friends for someone who barely asks you a question. Beneath the punchlines, though, is a harder-won lesson about protecting your peace and recognising when someone simply isn't worth the effort. Sonically, Cotchin and producer Dylan Ollivierre drew inspiration from the raw fire of Miranda Lambert’s ‘Baggage Claim’ and the sharp country-pop attitude of Chappell Roan’s ‘The Giver’. The result is a spirited collision of country, rock and pop, featuring her band: Finn Pearson on bass, Regan Dale on drums, Nick Gray on lead guitar, with the addition of fiddle from Daniel Drieberg and pedal steel from Ronan Nicholson. ‘Top Shelf’ marks an exciting new chapter for Cotchin, showcasing a lighter, more mischievous side. Trading heartbreak for humour and self-deprecation for a little well-earned confidence, the single finds Cotchin embracing her sharp wit, country swagger and unapologetic sense of self. It’s a fresh perspective from an artist who’s always had plenty to say, and isn’t afraid to have a little fun saying it. A multiple WAM Award winner, including the Grand Prize for WAM Song of the Year, Cotchin has built a reputation as one of Western Australia’s most compelling country voices. From sharing arena stages with Matchbox Twenty and the Goo Goo Dolls to appearing at Bluesfest, Laneway Festival and BIGSOUND, she has consistently paired an unmistakable voice with a songwriter’s eye for the details that make us laugh, wince and recognise ourselves. With ‘Top Shelf’, she’s less interested in being the girl waiting to be picked and more interested in enjoying the view from up high. After all, if they can't reach it, that's hardly her problem.