A heavy-hearted indie folk ballad, la loye’s wondrous “i only hear you in my song” balances pain and beauty in a cathartic and moving intimate upheaval.
Stream: “i only hear you in my song” – la loye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZB6ev8QRFo&ab_channel=laloye
I wrote ‘i only hear you in my song’ right when I was falling out of love. I remember feeling both liberated in the sense that I had come to terms with the fact that, one way or another, we were going to have to part ways.
Like a faint whisper blowing in the wind, la loye’s sophomore single is here and gone in a flash – bringing a present to absence and injecting life and beauty into an empty space. A wondrous and heavy-hearted indie folk ballad, “i only hear you in my song” balances pain and beauty in a cathartic and moving intimate upheaval.
Came tumbling down the stairs.
Said your name once or twice.
Before I would soothe you in my silence.
Would soothe you down the lair.
Said your name once or twice
Until I’d burn my tongue.
I didn’t miss you all night long.
Now I only hear you in my song.
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering the Jonathan Sipkema and Megan Bruinen-directed video for “i only hear you in my song,” la loye’s recently-released sophomore single (out February 4, 2021). Hailing from The Hague, Netherlands, 24-year-old Lieke Heusinkveld introduced her indie folk project and lo-fi aesthetic the late 2020’s debut single “i’m still asleep,” a poetic and raw introduction recalling the likes of Big Thief, Elliott Smith, and Radiohead.
With vivid lyrics winding through a poignant story of loss and self-reflection, “i only hear you in my song” aches with the burn of a fresh scar. Subtle and finessed, it’s a powerful testament to the power of love and the immediacy and intensity of physical distance on a relationship. After spending so much time together, a day apart from someone you once loved – even if you no longer love them the way you used to – feels like another lifetime. That distance takes its toll on even the most resilient souls. Heusinkveld sings her second verse and chorus weighed down by a sense of grief, yet at the same time elevated by lilting intangible effervescence:
And I’m watching her get undressed.
I’m the one naked to the eye.
It’s creeping up my back,
from behind her door.
There’s a ringing in my presence.
There’s a ringing in each sigh.
It’s creeping up my back.
I press my tongue upon the riffle of her gun.
Now I only hear you in my song.
It’s this overwhelming balance of sensations that help give “i only hear you in my song” its intimate allure and stunning appeal.
“I wrote ‘i only hear you in my song’ right when I was falling out of love,” Heusinkveld tells Atwood Magazine. “I remember feeling both liberated in the sense that I had come to terms with the fact that, one way or another, we were going to have to part ways. But of course I also felt the weight of actually having to lose a long time lover and friend. As the song grows, the lyrics slowly unfold this duality: feeling the weight of the whole break up while also feeling a sense of liberation.”
“For the video we wanted to create a similar concept: showing that some things can look or feel both heavy and beautiful at the same time. So we created a few scenes that shift in its intention throughout the song. What might have looked serene at first, reveals a different nature at the end of the song. Apart from the change in scenery we wanted to symbolize the development of my introspection. I’ve always loved to paint and for me it has always been a very good way to rethink and clear my head. In the video the painting similarly guides the audience through my thoughts and memories. I think what I’ve actually come to like most about the video is the fact that it somehow shows both sides of the story. This wasn’t our initial intention, but it shines through anyhow. Maybe this video is my way of saying: ‘I know it mustn’t have been easy, and I see and acknowledge that’.”
The artist’s emotional music video tells a tale of absence and solitude; of changing tides marked by the swipe of a paintbrush, and the ghosts of memories fading deeper into a time’s distant abyss. la loye experiences pain; love; nostalgia; comfort; affection; loneliness; resolve; and more. Her performance is altogether breathtaking, demanding silence as she weaves through this small, yet immense emotional tragedy.
What a wonderful reminder of the power of music; what an evocative way to capture such a universally relatable human experience.
Stream “i only hear you in my song” exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and stay tuned for more from la loye in the months to come.
— —
Stream: “i only hear you in my song” – la loye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZB6ev8QRFo&ab_channel=laloye
— — — —
Connect to la loye on
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Discover new music on Atwood Magazine
? © Nikki van de Poel
:: Stream la loye ::
