We are honoured to premiere a double single release from Australian expat living in the UK, Nick Kingswell. Both tracks put on display Kingswell’s delicate and reflective vocals as well as his melodic ear: gentle folk-tinged tracks that offer an immersive pool of sonic tranquility.
‘Deep Blue’ – nominally the ‘A’ side – is a slow burning atmospheric track with a haunting subtle synth wash. Kingswell’s voice is soft and soothing: liquid and flowing with an air of melancholia that is tangible and effective
The instrumentation dapples and bubbles with layers of muted keys, guitars and percussion, creating a dreamy and transfixing music that transfixes.
Kinswell says of the track:
The original lyrics to the chorus were “I am deep blue, see through, hard to explain”… But then I realised in writing this song, I was literally explaining how I feel. Or at least trying to. So I changed that last line. You know those days where you can’t shake the fog? Energy and happiness seem to be lacking but there’s no real reason to feel that way. That’s where Deep Blue started from. By the bridge, I stumbled upon the acceptance of some days being better than others for no reason at all. Feeling low can be described as a weight or an emotion, and other times, as a colour. For me, deep blue is as close as I get to visualising it.
‘Money in the Bank’ softly moves forward at a slightly quicker pace – the acoustic guitars to the fore – while Kingswell’s luxurious vocals tell a tale with a dry self-deprecatory style – I am a tourist, I have a phone to prove it, thousands of pictures that I’m sure I’ll never look at. Kingswell says:
‘Money In The Bank’ started out as an idea based around trying to buy happiness and realising, actually, all this “stuff”, doesn’t even move the needle. It’s a fool’s errand. I love the idea of beautiful melodies accompanied by sad lyrics. To achieve this we ran the guitar parts through some whacky 80’s room modelling effects.
Both tracks are rich and lush: intricate and delicate brushes on an aural canvas. The result is something that glistens and sparkles with a gentle movement that ebbs and flows like a wheat field in a breeze.
The singles are out on Friday, 30 July and you can pre-save here, but in the meantime, have an exclusive listen below:
Kingswell grew up in Phillip Island near Melbourne in Victoria and was surrounded by the sights and sounds of music, his parents exposing him to artists such as Carole King and Leonard Cohen. He first formed a band at the age of 12, and went on on to win a nationwide talent contest and a single contract with SONY BMG Australia.
He worked as a session guitarist for seven years, playing for the likes of Guy Sebastian, The McClymonts and Samantha Jade before moving to London intent on making a name of himself as a solo artist.
