If Katie Melua explored her dark side she might release a song like “Backup Plan,” the cool new single from Bel Kil. This brooding follow-up to “Escaping” is a real departure from her summery debut, but I love an artist that keeps us guessing. The song proves that great things can come out of life’s disappointments.
“I was walking home from the studio on a balmy Friday afternoon, excited to have a beer with a friend, only to receive a text saying he couldn’t make it,” Bel recalled. “I can remember feeling the let down and then when I walked past the pub we were meant to meet at, I started singing voice memos into my phone.” By the time she arrived home, Bel had the lyrics and melody ready to go.
This track isn’t just a sonic departure for Bel. It also gave her the opportunity to hone her production skills.
“I was a lot more focused on guitar and bass tones with this track than in the past. It was nice to take a step away from producing more electronic songs in Ableton and go back to how I used to write with a guitar before I knew how to produce,” she added. “I wanted to capture a slower, contemplative, dreamy and slightly psychedelic feel. I started with the guitar chords and built the production around there, using midi drums originally and my guitar as the bass. I added virtual strings, synths and layers of vocals. I played around with panning and effects. I worked backwards producing the whole track in the box and then overdubbed my friends Tristan Courtney on bass guitar and John Vassallo on drums to achieve more of a ‘live feeling’. In a way, the outro feels climatic and chaotic but it’s intentionally ordered chaos, the way my head was feeling as I reasoned with myself and didn’t let the disappointment get me down. I wanted it to feel like a journey. The song starts out reflective but by the time we reach the peak, there’s this epic hopefulness.”
With such diverse releases, I’m not quite sure what to expect from Bel’s debut EP My Year when it drops in early November. However, as I mentioned before, I love an artist who keeps me guessing. Whatever that release holds, I’m ready for it.
Image used with permission from Hunger Digital