The Bite Magazine - issue 16

New Single Releases bite new music F rom the playing of the violin at the beginning, to the enchanting piano notes, the musical tone of ‘Empathy’ grabs a firm hold of you. It emphasises the movement of the water in the music video and strangely enough pre- pares you for a moment of relaxation. Then emerging artist Kelsey Lu’s semi- soft but haunting voice chimes in to take you on another journey that would have you drifting along said waters in no time. A cross between FKA Twigs and Lana Del Ray (in my opinion), the multi-instrumentalist and singer doesn’t need to demand your attention to her voice, she simply captures it without effort. You just can’t help but listen as you decipher what she is singing about. The video is quite revealing but not in a provocative way; with a naked torso under water, presumably the singer’s, entangled in decorative pieces, it seem to have pieces of the skin flapping away at intervals as though it’s going to dete- riorate any moment yet stays intact. This song would work well as one of the soundtrack music to an epic film, perhaps along the lines of something similar to Lord of the Rings or Kingdom of Heaven . Church , the name of her EP, derived from its unique recording process in which Lu recorded live in a single take and also played a very special show at the Holy Family Roman Catho- lic Church in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in New York with only her cello, voice and loop pedal. She has opened for Florence + the Machine and Grimes on two nights at Brooklyn’s Barclays Centre, and played alongside Florence + the Machine, Kendrick Lamar, Kamasi Washington and Jamie xx at London’s Hyde Park. The singer who was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, left home at 18 to study cello. She now resides in New York and has collaborated with, and contributed to albums from many of her peers including Blood Orange, Kelela, Wet and Organized Noize. Kelsey Lu recently performed at Waiting Rooms in London and will be enchanting the crowd with her voice at The Trouba- dour in Los Angeles, CA on 31 st August. The EP is out now via True Panther Sounds and can be purchased on vinyl or through iTunes. Kelsey Lu empathy