Toronto-based cellist and songwriter Kyla Marlena has shared In Paint, the latest single from her forthcoming debut album Hold Time, out next Friday, November 6th, via Idee Fixe.
The single is accompanied by a video she co-directed with Jo Hirabayashi (who also shot & edited it), the title is taken from the opening lyric’s suggestion of permanence: “Mark my words in paint and make sure nothing changes”, furthering the theme of time that preoccupies much of the album. She said:
“In Paint” is about the tension between wanting to outgrow our ingrained patterns and fearing the loss of control that comes with that, as well as the added complexity of navigating that alongside another person. There’s a lot of unease and dissonance in that, which the instrumentation mirrors. We rarely play on top of one another, but there’s a constant sense, almost a threat, that we might. When all that tension finally erupts at the end, it acts as a sort of wish fulfilment. The music resolves something the lyrics don’t quite manage to.”
As the album press notes, Marlena has a classical background and has spent years recording, collaborating, and touring with others. Hold Time marks her time to shine, and, as her latest single demonstrates, she has a strong musical maturity and a level of unpredictability that makes her music so engaging. Definitely one to watch.
Pre-Order via Bandcamp (DL/LP)