Julia Jacklin has announced her long-awaited fourth album, The Gem, arriving September 25 via 4AD, and shared its lead single, “Get Away From Me (I Think I’ll Love You Soon).” It’s welcome news for fans of one of indie rock’s most emotionally perceptive songwriters. While Jacklin’s music often explores heartbreak, uncertainty, and longing, it never feels weighed down by sadness.
That’s part of what has always drawn me to her work. Her songs have a way of pairing emotional vulnerability with bright melodies and memorable hooks, making records like Crushing endlessly replayable. After catching Jacklin’s set at Primavera Sound Madrid in 2023, I was especially excited to hear that she’s returning with a new chapter.
The album marks a new chapter for Jacklin, whose previous releases Don’t Let The Kids Win (2016), Crushing (2019), and PRE PLEASURE (2022). Produced by Jacklin and Robert Muinos, The Gem was recorded entirely in Melbourne at Rat Shack Studios, located above the Collingwood pub that ultimately inspired the album’s title. Working alongside friends and longtime collaborators Jacob Diamond, Mimi Gilbert, and Jess Elwood, Jacklin spent nearly a year shaping the ten-song collection, a process that began as a quick recording session and evolved into something far more deliberate.
The album’s lead single, “Get Away From Me (I Think I’ll Love You Soon),” is an instantly charming introduction to The Gem. Opening with a strong melody and Jacklin’s unmistakable voice front and center, the song feels both sweet and quietly devastating. The title refrain captures a feeling that will likely be familiar to anyone who’s ever met someone and immediately sensed they were in trouble.
Rather than fearing rejection, Jacklin is terrified by the certainty that she’s going to fall for this person, pleading for distance while knowing it’s already too late. A standout guitar breakdown between verses adds an extra burst of energy, nodding to the jangly indie rock influences Jacklin cites while giving the track an infectious momentum.
The song arrives alongside a self-directed video inspired by The Gem‘s cover art, featuring a necklace adorned with individual images inside each gemstone. Jacklin appears in the center gem, performing the song while a series of miniature scenes unfold around her. It’s a simple concept, but an unexpectedly inventive one that mirrors the song’s warmth and intimacy. Together, the video and single feel poised to resonate with fans of emotionally candid songwriters like Olivia Rodrigo as well as fellow Australian indie rock favorite Courtney Barnett.
At the heart of The Gem is a tension Jacklin describes as central to her life: the desire to love and be loved while also remaining free. That push and pull serves as the album’s emotional foundation, with Jacklin comparing the creative process to excavation. “A lot of it did feel like digging,” she explains. “I felt like I was doing it almost in the dark, just trusting I was going to find something.” The result is a record rooted in reinvention, friendship, and trusting your instincts when the path forward isn’t entirely clear.
To celebrate the release, Jacklin will embark on an extensive North American, UK, and European tour beginning this October. If “Get Away From Me (I Think I’ll Love You Soon)” is any indication, The Gem promises to showcase Jacklin at her most confident and self-assured while retaining the emotional honesty that has made her one of indie music’s most compelling voices. Needless to say, there’s a very good chance I’ll be at that Brooklyn show.
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