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Fables is the creative project of Tāmaki Makaurau singer-songwriter Jess Bailey. ‘Sundown’ marks the first offering from Bailey’s debut album as Fables; Change is a Slow-Moving Beast (out in 2026 via Home Alone).

‘Sundown’ is self assured chamber pop that conjures the confessional folk songs style of Joni Mitchell and the alt-americana storytelling of Lucy Dacus. With ‘Sundown’, Bailey is very much in the driver’s seat; top down, wind in her hair, heralding in a new dawn. Just in time for spring, ‘Sundown’ offers us a glimpse of the horizon for Fables and the future is bright. Bailey plays it as it lays, always looking for the opportunities that lie in every given moment. In ‘Sundown’, she combines vulnerability with purpose laid out in a spacious alt-folk landscape. The result is an effortless incantation to shepherd us through life’s transitions. “I don’t wanna go but I have to leave” she calls as she leads us towards the sunset.

To celebrate the release of ‘Sundown’, Fables is hitting the road performing at the Paisley Stage Napier (presented by the Hawkes Bay Arts Festival) on October 17th and the following night in at Last Place, Hamilton w. Finn Johansson.

Fables’ 2017 debut EP Portraits showcased, “Bailey’s gorgeous voice, instrumental prowess and evocative storytelling skills,” (undertheradar.co.nz). The release of ‘Sundown’ marks a reemergence for Bailey with a production style with a steady assurance that holds space for her heartfelt soul-baring folk style.

A songwriter who knows the devil is in the details: the ones you leave in and the ones you leave out, Bailey draws deeply from the highs, lows, and mundane middle of everyday reality. Their sound elegantly marries the intimate, bed-sit qualities of folk revival music with the expansive, range-roving sensibilities of alt-country and Americana.

What began as a nylon string demo recorded as a voice note now thrives with crisp drums, mellow rhodes chimes and slinking pedal steel.

“I actually wrote ‘Sundown’ on a mattress on the floor, couch surfing in the wake of a separation,” confesses Bailey. “For me, idle hands make for an unsettled mind, made worse in the early hours of the morning. Too tired to be awake, too awake to sleep – this poem fell out of me and into my notes app. The intent was to capture a moment when you find yourself somewhere, with someone that feels safe and comfortable, when you both talk about how you could end up intertwined together, but choose to maintain the space between and leave some room for yearning rather than become entangled.”

‘Sundown’ was recorded with an incandescent ensemble of session musicians including bassist Cass Basil (Tiny Ruins, King Sweeties), multi-instrumentalist Dave Khan (Marlon Williams, Reb Fountain), and drummer Arahi (Te Tokotoru, Pony Baby). The track was mixed by Australian audio engineer and musician Dan Luscombe (of The Drones) and produced by Khan.

“”Sundown” wouldn’t be what it is without the players who brought it to life. The first pre-production session happened at Reb Fountain’s house — me on guitar, Reb on bass, and Dave Khan on electric, huddled over the voice notes app on my phone. That day set the trajectory for the whole song.”

“When we got to Parachute Studios to record, Cass Basil (bass) grounded the track — her playing gave it the warmth and steadiness I’d imagined, the heartbeat under everything else. Dave Khan’s pedal steel and electric guitar textures lifted the song into something cinematic, widening the emotional space and giving it that aching, dreamlike quality. Arahi’s drumming sat back in just the right way; I love that he plays like a vocalist, always leaving space for the story to unfold.”

“We then brought it back to Reb and Dave’s Studio and Reb produced the vocal takes. There is a sense of organicness that she brought out of me that day, I could be myself and the time pressure and need to be polished disappeared. It’s not over sung, but it’s not limp either.”

“Finally, Dan Luscombe mixed the track, bringing out the golden tones I’d been chasing. He gave it the feel of a familiar classic while keeping it fresh. Each of them nudged ”Sundown” closer to the world I’d pictured, familiar yet delicate, intimate but expansive.”

‘Sundown’ is accompanied by a playful yet surreal music video shot by Finn Johansson with movement assistance by Willa O’Neill. Filmed at the Wild Forest Estate up at Donnelley’s Crossing the clip finds Bailey losing teeth and dancing with beings of light.

“I was really inspired by the sisterhood in films and shows like The Witches of Eastwick, Charmed, and Practical Magic, and I wanted to capture that nostalgic, whimsical energy,” notes Bailey. “It’s about transforming fear and vulnerability into something playful, magical, and ultimately luminous. I want to turn the ordinary and unsettling into something extraordinary.”

“Working with Finn as director was an absolute joy. I’ve had a long-standing creative relationship with him, and I chose him because I think he’s a great artist in every sense of the word. He has this incredible ability to take an idea — no matter how abstract or half cooked— and make it tangible. He encouraged me to experiment, play with visuals and narrative, and trusted my instincts while bringing his own vision.”

“Willa joined us to plan choreography and movement, which was especially helpful because I’d had a knock to the head last December, leaving my balance a bit unpredictable, and dancing has never been my forte.”

Reflecting on the creation of ‘Sundown’, Bailey opens up “I feel a mix of relief, joy, and quiet pride. The song went through so many stages and it’s fulfilling to hear it all together, exactly as I imagined, capturing both the intimacy and the whimsy I wanted.”

“Now that it’s finished, it feels like sharing a little piece of my world with others.”

Catch Fables celebrating the release of ‘Sundown’ at Paisley Stage (Napier, presented by the Hawkes Bay Arts Festival) and Last Place. Tickets are available from Undertheradar.co.nz & eventfinda!

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Photo Credit: Ebony Lamb