Track of the Day: Hacky Sack “Exaggerating” (2020)

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Hacky Sack is the latest COVID-born project on the scene, created by Huck Hastings and Sachin Burns, who met through their mutual love of well-crafted pop songs while working evening shifts at a Bondi Beach bookshop cafe.

These Sydneysiders came together from their respective music pursuits – Hastings’ eponymous solo work and Burns from Run Marlowe – to create the product of an obviously rewarding staff trip to New South Wales’ south coast. According to the pair, they “spent their time climbing trees, hanging poolside and playing songs for the other staff members”, dabbling with the tunes that would later become Hacky Sack.

Hacky Sack’s first offering, “Exaggerating”, was recorded during the height of lockdown from their individual bedrooms and details the throes of unrequited love while also touching upon “depression, longing and the uncertainty that comes alongside growing up”.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of romance lately, and how toxic it can be. I wanted to explore the idea of having feelings for somebody without expecting anything back. An unpossessive kind of love,” Huck said of the track.

His attentive lyrics sit in contrast atop Burns’ shimmering paradisiacal guitar and the airy synths providing a lockdown bedroom-pop.

It’s a slice of glistening beauty amid the corona-chaos of 2020 and has us excited to hear what’s on the horizon for this duo!

Listen to Exaggerating on Spotify. Hacky Sack · Song · 2020.


“Exaggerating” is out now. Catch Hack Sack live at the Giant Dwarf on November 21st as a part of Two Queers Festival for their “Exaggerating” single launch.

You can follow Happy Sack on Instagram and  Facebook

This article was originally published by The AU Review.

Tait McGregor