The track was recorded at Sydney’s 301 Studios with Newcastle producer Gareth Hudson, after Vee beat another 900 artists to win two free days of recording time through a national talent competition.

Vee also called on the assistance of orchestra, Ensemble Apex, and a 12-piece vocal group in the recording.

“It’s a call to action to step out of your comfort zone and lose yourself in order to find yourself,” Vee says.

“In the early demo versions I always felt it loaned itself to some rich instrumentation and big wide-open sound – something to represent that sense of freedom.”

It’s an obvious departure from Vee’s folk-driven debut album Fits and Starts released in 2013 and builds on the use of electronic beats, synthesizer soundscapes and pop melody she first explored in the stand-along single Ten Years in 2016.

However, it still maintains her trademark earthy and grassroots brand of folk. 

Red Desert Heart will appear on Vee’s forthcoming second album and lyrically focuses on escapism.

“Thematically, the song is an attempt to distill that feeling you get when you switch off from the modern world and get back to the things that make you fundamentally happy,” she says. “So much of my creative output come from experiencing new places, especially natural environments.”