Folky, acoustic guitar-driven music is my kryptonite. Needless to say, I’m powerless to resist “Chemical Heart,” the latest track from Kyle Lionhart. He wrote the song after reaching a crossroads in his musical career.
“Being away and constantly on the road chasing something – that hungry ghost of needing to be validated through music – was so powerful that I was willing to just ruin the rest of my life to get it,” he explained. “I hit this point at end of 2019 – after touring relentlessly for more than six years – when I realised that my family was gonna leave me and I hadn’t spoken to my friends in years, and it took its toll on my mental health. I knew it was getting bad, but I ignored it to chase a ‘successful’ music career. And it worked, but almost every other facet of my life was suffering and falling to pieces.
“Then when I had to stop, because the pandemic forced me to, I realised everything was so turbulent. And I had to start working on myself and my relationships. It was kind of like, ‘Alright, I’m ready to get to work.’ I wrote the song Chemical Heart about that; it’s a song that was very much about everything I had just experienced.”
“Chemical Heart” comes from Kyle’s new album The Silence of You, which drops on November 18. After eating up his singles, I can’t wait to listen. He’ll also play the following shows next year to support the album release:
20 January 2023 – Milk Bar, Boorloo/Perth
21 January 2023 – Jive, Tarntanya/Adelaide
27 January 2023 – The Factory Theatre, Eora/Sydney
28 January 2023 – Corner Hotel, Naarm/Melbourne
3 February 2023 – Mos Desert Clubhouse, Yugambeh Country/Gold Coast
4 February 2023 – The Zoo, Meeanjin/Brisbane
10 February 2023 – Solbar, Kabi Kabi and Jinibara Country/Sunshine Coast
11 February 2023 – The Northern, Cavanbah/Byron Bay
Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute