Photo by Zoe Ardiff
Four years since her last release, Kk Lewis has returned with the warming heartbreak of new single ‘Pigeon Man’. The Dublin artist steadily unveils the emotion and the softness, but makes intentions clear from the first melancholic piano chord.
With acoustic ambience in tow, the instruments follow the vocal performance, as strings shuffle in before swelling into a gorgeous mass that wouldn’t go amiss in a Disney movie. The vocal harmonies follow this lead, presenting these bittersweet emotions with a beautified edge. Though it’s stripped back, each element is precise, poignant and raw, giving you the same rise of heart you’d find in a much busier mix. A nostalgic glow and a modern, charming result. The final slide down from the vocal encapsulates the four previous minutes in a single note.
Kk Lewis explains, “This song represents more than just a heartbreak – it’s about growing up. Everyone remembers their first heartbreak, that moment you realise love isn’t the perfect thing you imagined it to be. I remember how lost I felt at the time, having lost friends too, but I also remember how important my girls were. Female friendships soften the heartbreak, the confusion, the rejection – they remind you that you’re not alone.
I recorded the song with my good friend Tadhg (SexyTadhg), who helped me arrange it and translate that heartbreak-romantic feeling into the piano part. We tracked it pretty much live in a studio up in Dundalk, spending the whole day keeping it minimal and intimate – as if you were hearing it in the room, without being overly produced.”
Tipped as an exciting act in years gone by, it’s a deserved return for Kk Lewis. The press and radio praised early works, and her debut EP showed an emotional instinct that can’t be taught. Calm, decisive and honest, there’s more to come, so don’t lose sight of this one to watch.
Listen to ‘Pigeon Man’
