Amanda Cy (Sweden) – Know nothing (single)
“I know nothing” is a popular refrain with its roots in wartime prison camps I guess. And I knew nothing about this latest release from songwriter turned artist Amanda Cy, which was released back at the end of January. It’s one of those songs that slipped below the radar, as the saying goes.
Those other artists she’s written for include LÉON, Paloma Faith, and Otto Knows, and now you’re going to join Otto and me in getting to know Amanda as she embraces change in both her personal life and creative endeavour.
“It’s about letting go of the past and embracing change,” says Amanda, “realising that you no longer know a lot about a person you used to love and understand inside and out” and it was written a few days after she ran into an ex from whom the break up had been a bad one, her feeling that they were just acquaintances, and the years they spent together didn’t really happen.
Photo credit: Daniela Spiroska
So in essence the song is about personal resilience.
‘Know nothing’ is the result of one of her first sessions with the oddly named production duo Teddy Failure (consisting of LOVA and Winona Oak), for whom “failure is the new success.” Hm. Their acquired and shared taste in music encompasses both Robyn and Joy Division so you’d better prepare yourself for something different here.
Everything about the song and the accompanying video is minimal. The tune grasps at a memorable melody but doesn’t quite hold it. That’s no bad thing though as in a weird way it hints at the uncertainty of the situation she’s found herself in and whether subsequent reflection might lead her to revisit the relationship and finding ‘something’ in it.
(I just had to say that on Valentine’s Day, didn’t I?)
The equally uncluttered video has Amanda driving around Stockholm in a car that’s even more battered than mine, a Peugeot even older than Columbo’s by the look of it, and having apparently slept in it all night.
She then proceeds to spy on said ex like Jane Bond.
There is more to this story than meets the eye. The sequel will no doubt make alles klar.
Interesting fact about Amanda: Discovered by music executives at just 16-years-old, she turned down a record deal knowing that she still needed space and time to grow. Good on her. Better than being hyped to the stars and then getting dumped because your second single or first album doesn’t achieve unattainable targets. How many artists like that have we had in here, struggling to get going again?
Good move.
Find her on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsamandacy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsamandacy/
Kindsight (Denmark) – Tomorrow (single/track from future album)
I was intrigued to read from their public relations folk that “Danish four-piece Kindsight have always had a knack for pretty, warm-heated indie rock.” While it’s probably a typo, meaning ‘hearted’, it struck me that ‘warm-heated’ describes them pretty well too. They can generate quite a pace and quite a racket on stage yet at the same time they don’t rely on that raw power and can deliver something more tepid, dreamy, soothing and occasionally melancholic on demand.
This latest offering, ‘Tomorrow’, the first single from their new album that’s out in April, satisfies most of those categorisations.
What you almost always get as well with Kindsight is a blast of a highly melodic chorus, one that will stick in your mind and they don’t disappoint on this song.
Kindsight, with singer Nina Hyldgaard Rasmussen’s pleading vocal holding your attention throughout, is all about generating images for you to interpret in your own fashion and once again they’ve pushed all the buttons here.
I have to admit that I haven’t fathomed out quite what the video is about. ‘Attack of the 50ft Woman’ comes to mind. It will probably become clearer when they release the album, ‘No Shame No Fame’ on April 19th.
Kindsight are touring Denmark and Sweden in April and May in support of the album. See their social pages for details.
Find them on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kindsight.kindsight
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kindsight2
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kindsight.kindsight/
Bandcamp: https://kindsightkindsight.bandcamp.com/
