New York artist james K is gearing up to release her new album Friend, and so far, it’s sounding like an intimate, playful, and deeply textured project. We’ve already heard a few tracks off of the project, including “Play,” a high-energy track that set a lively tone. Now, she’s followed it up with something moodier, “Doom Bikini,” a track that leans into dreamy electronics and a kind of hazy, sun-drenched nostalgia. And there’s even a “doom bikini towel friend” for sale.
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“Doom Bikini” unfolds like a sticky summer daydream. james K describes it as “a sun-greased slinky ballad about being hard and soft on myself,” one that she didn’t quite know what to do with at first. Originally built on “boring ‘shoegazey’ guitars,” the song eventually found its form through layers of doo-wop-inspired vocal loops, surfy textures, “gwen-lite” vocal flourishes, and a sweet swirl of G-funk. The result is a track that plays with time, memory, and self-perception — or as she puts it: “Both horizon lines feel interchangeable, pluck-able like guitar strings.” And talking about friends, she actually co-produced it with Patrick Holland and Priori. Listen and pre-order the album below.
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