#319
Jealous of the Birds – ‘Dandelion’ & ‘Tonight I Feel Like Kafka’
Thursday 19th May, 2016
They Say: “When I hear ‘Dandelion’ it’s summer again and my head’s filled with the friends I spent my days with. It’s a love song to the listener; a hope for them to be happy. It’s also the only track on the record to feature a cello and violin accompaniment, so there are lush moments where you’re carried with the swell of the strings. With the vocals, I threw in some Fleet Foxes-esque harmonies to really empower the sentiment behind the song. It’s a happy one.
This song (‘Tonight I Feel Like Kafka’) comes from being single and hating it. I wrote it at 3a.m. in my pyjamas and had been thinking about how — when it comes down to it — nobody wants to be alone, and sometimes unrequited love is almost as painful as no love at all. The song’s title was inspired by the fact that the majority of Kafka’s work is known to be intellectually dark, so I felt that was pretty evocative. On the record, the song has touches of synth and a soft melancholy in the vocals which reminds me of Elliott Smith, whose songs I love and respect a great deal.”
We Say: “A wonderfully gentle and spellbinding performance of two highlights from that outstanding debut album which we’ve raved about so much. A total treat… and what’s more Naomi seems to be only getting started with a brand new untitled track - and new direction - casually dropped in to close the session.”
You can listen to the full session including the 3rd ‘untitled' track on this week's Across the Line (Available for 30 days from transmission). Jealous of the birds plays The BBC Introducing Stage at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Exeter on Saturday 28th May. The debut album ‘Parma Violets’ is out now.
As often as possible Across the Line aims to bring you a great new, recent or interesting track each day, Monday to Friday. To get your new music to Across the Line send it via theBBC Introducing Uploader.
