UK indie songwriter duo Flyte returns with “I’m Not There,” a soberingly honest exploration of personal trauma and self-acceptance.
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Stream: “I’m Not There” – Flyte
In apocalyptic times like these, sometimes all we want is to feel emotionally cradled and safe.
Flyte, the London-based indie songwriter duo comprised of Will Taylor and Nick Hill, offer us that safe space with their first release since their critically acclaimed self-titled third album in 2023. Gearing for an upcoming UK tour, Taylor and Hill are returning with the single “I’m Not There” (released February 14, 2025), a soberingly honest exploration of personal trauma and self-love.
Combining their forces with BRIT Award Winning producer Ethan Johns (known for his works with Paul McCartney, Ray Lamontagne, Laura Marling), the duo have created an intimate piece of music with an organic, homemade feeling.
Emotional and naked in its truth, “I’m Not There” speaks aloud the thoughts of someone struggling to stay present in a relationship.
“Although regular therapy and the ever-enlightening practice of songwriting has helped me immensely over the years, a lack of self-love, self-forgiveness, and the baggage of family trauma still hangs around – sometimes heavily,” Taylor shares. “This song was written under a particularly dense cloud, with a rainy brain. I was draining my subconscious, not present in the slightest.”
‘Cause how can I tell you, I am nowhere?
I am breathless, I am hot air
If it’s heavy, I can hold it
Maybe too much, when you notice
I’m not there
I’m not there
– “I’m Not There,” Flyte
Will Taylor and Nick Hill’s voices blend together in perfect harmony, finding a soft place to land atop breezy drums, folky guitar strums, and feathery piano flutters. The song has an energy adjacent to one you’d find in Nick Drake’s discography – easy on the ears and profoundly poetic.
“It’s a fully live performance, cut right at the start of the album recording session,” Taylor adds.
“We played it once and once only, and that’s all the listeners hear bar a single piano added later. Nick, Ethan, and I haven’t played as this trio before and you can hear us introducing ourselves to each other, figuring the whole thing out as we played. Ethan, as well as being a sensational producer/engineer is an experienced, emotionally intelligent drummer, which provided a safety net that allowed us to step blindly into the performance with no preparation. It taught us that there, in that risky place, is where the truth is most easily coaxed out of us.”
Tenderly touching on the domino effects of personal trauma, “I’m Not There” is a song so fitting for these melancholic times, reminding us not to run from our feelings, but to confront them and to be honest about them with ourselves and loved ones.
There is strength in looking the truth square in the face. In doing so, we’re able to see the whole picture of who we are in HD, flaws and all. Only then, when we can see the whole picture of ourselves, can we find true self-acceptance and move towards the path of healing.
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Stream: “I’m Not There” – Flyte
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© Madison Rensing
© Madison Rensing
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