Thomas Powers – Li (Feat. Chelsea Jade): New Song Of The Day

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The Naked and Famous’ Thomas Powers releases ethereal new single ‘Li’, featuring Chelsea Jade.

Here’s the blurb:

Thomas PowersCo-founder of the award-winning synth-pop band The Naked And Famous, Thomas Powers has teamed up with fellow New Zealander Chelsea Jade to release the first single off his debut solo LP.

Powers’ formative years in New Zealand are punctuated by the meteoric rise of The Naked & Famous, where in 2010, they burst from hometown heroes into international stardom with their double platinum, synth-soaked superhit ‘Young Blood.’ In following years, The Naked & Famous would go on to release four more albums featuring critically acclaimed ‘Hearts Like Ours‘ and ‘Higher.’ Now finally stepping out from behind the curtain, Powers’ solo debut positions him centerstage, breathing life into an airless, electronic soundscape that cannot be ignored.

Cinematic, mature, and understated, ‘Li‘ is the first piece of music where Powers thought, “This is my sound.” Mellow, moody synths ebb and flow in the sonic space around a warm piano, creating a pulsing effect to surround the gentle, hook-laden chorus melody.

“‘Li,’ and the rest of my album, is the music I want to hear as much as it’s the music I want to be making,” says Powers. “It’s centered around domesticity, love, and becoming an adult. It’s about feeling desperate, pathetic, and overburdening someone for emotional support. I’m begging them to make me feel confident, at the expense of their honesty… so I can show the world how put-together I am.”

Produced and recorded at Powers’ home studio in LA, the track was then co-mixed by Powers and Grammy Award-winning engineer Beatriz Artola (Fleet Foxes, Sharon Van Etten) with string arrangements from Grammy Award-winning Rob Moose (Phoebe Bridgers, Bon Iver). The single came to life, however, during the earliest days of the pandemic, when Powers and one of his oldest friends, the award-winning Aotearoa artist Chelsea Jade, found themselves creatively supporting one another.

“We were quarantined and working remotely,” reflects Powers. “I showed Chelsea the lyric, “I’m a tyrant crying in private.” She connected with these lines and immediately gave the words a melody. I couldn’t work out how to compensate for the internet delay, which meant I heard her singing out of time, but decided to record her anyway – the timing fluctuation gave the section just the right about of instability.”

Thomas PowersAlso out today is the accompanying video, which sees the music and visuals working in tandem. Directed and edited by Powers himself, he cites the creative direction contributions of Jade and their frequent collaborator, musical artist Luna Shadows. Offering an elaboration on the video’s meaning, Powers shares: “The video is centered around the private, vulnerable, and domestic nature of ‘the bed’ – it’s where we go to shut out the world, but also where we ruminate on our biggest regrets. We begin and close each day in them.”

Find Thomas Powers:

Instagram | ​Twitter​ |  Website

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