Exclusive Track Premiere: ‘Black Eye,’ Walking Shapes

WALKING SHAPES IN NEW YORK, JANUARY 2015. PHOTO BY CHARLIE HIMMELSTEIN. SPECIAL THANKS: THE IMPOSSIBLE PROJECT.

“I was saying things that I didn’t even realize I was going through, but were subconsciously really weighing me down,” lead singer Nathaniel Hoho explains of writing “Black Eye,” a bonus track from Walking Shapes’s debut album, Taka Come On. “Dan Krysa and I met up to record with nothing particular in mind. Dan laid down a drum groove, I put a progression overtop, and then recorded a few vocal takes, just letting it happen. Listening back to the vocals was very introspective,” he continues.

“Black Eye,” which is streaming exclusively below as our Track of the Week, features personal and emotional lyrics that focus on the anxieties and turmoil of relationships and life in general. Hoho sings, “Hey listen up / I’m standing still / I can’t relax” set to upbeat and catchy indie pop guitar, two drum kits, bass, and keyboard. The song immediately puts you in the headspace of standing at a small Brooklyn venue and nodding along (or dancing, if that’s more your style), similar to the downtown, cool kid atmosphere during the band’s showcase at the launch of The Mirror Cube in January.

Following Walking Shapes’ European tour, and then playing at Isle of Light in the Dominican Republic alongside acts like Run the Jewels and Chromeo, and at SXSW, the band has finally returned to its native New York. While today, March 31, marks the international release of Taka Come On, the five-piece is already heading back into the studio, where they will spend the next few months finishing their sophomore album with producer Gus Oberg (who notably engineered The Strokes’ Angles).

“‘Black Eye’ is very much a reminder to keep pushing,” Hoho says. “It’s about the privilege of creation and how, despite all odds, if you keep pushing and doing what you love, your passion will eventually take on legs of its own.”

FOR MORE ON WAKING SHAPES, VISIT THE BAND’S WEBSITE.