Brisbane-based artist and ‘Heartburn’ hitmaker Wafia has given us another taste of her upcoming EP with the release of new single ‘Bodies’.

The track is a particularly personal one for the singer — who was born in the Netherlands to Iraqi and Syrian parents — as it addresses her extended family’s struggle to escape the ongoing civil war in Syria, and to attain refugee status in Australia. As she told Broadly, the song itself was written on the day her family were denied refugee status by the Australian government.

“I saw my mom doing paperwork, taking calls, and following up for about a year,” Wafia said. “Then, in one single letter, they were denied everything. It wasn’t just one of them—it was my whole family. I saw how much that broke my mom and my family.

“I saw a lot of images in the media about people leaving their homes, and I just wanted to make it feel less alien. I feel like people tend to look at situations like that and feel really removed from it. I just wanted to create a song that put all of these ideas together, and ‘Bodies’ is what happened.

“[My family] are still in Syria. They’re all spread out through Syria. My uncle’s village gets attacked quite regularly. It’s quite daunting and really difficult to even talk to them because sometimes when you’re talking, you can hear gunshots and bombs.

“I very clearly remember asking my mom if it worried her when she heard those things, and my mom said something that just terrified me: She said that she gets more worried when she can’t hear them because that means they’re on the move and getting closer. We’re so lucky to be here [in Australia], but it’s still like there’s a lot of trauma that comes with that.”

Listen to ‘Bodies’ below. Wafia’s EP VIII is out on October 13, and to celebrate she’ll be playing a few shows around the country in the lead up to its release. Check out all the dates below.

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Wafia Tour Dates

Brisbane — September 23 at Riverstage (supporting London Grammar)
Sydney — September 29 at Oxford Arts Factory
Melbourne — October 5 at the Corner Hotel
Sydney — January 1 at Field Day festival

Tickets on sale now.