Joy Orbison has shared a new standalone single, titled ‘Bastard’.
Taking in vocals from London-based vocalist Joe James, the new cut shares sonic headspace with the more introspective qualities of his 2021 debut full-length, the mixtape still slipping vol. 1.
Writing on Instagram about the track, which you can listen to below, Joy Orbison said: “We made ‘Bastard’ in a few hours, on a rainy day in West London. This was the first time I’d met Joe but I realised quite quickly that we were both exploring similar musical ideas.
“Joe had a really distinct sound in his head which was refreshing. He’d caught me a bit off-guard in honesty but eventually I played him something that i doubt i would even have considered before the session. He was instantly like, ‘Ye, let me try recording something’. The vocal you hear on the track was the only take we recorded.
“No ad-libs, no doubles, we didn’t even try re-recording it. We knew we had it. There’s a nonchalance to Joe’s delivery that underplays the vivid images he paints in your head. I can’t listen to this track without visualising what he’s saying. You work on ideas so much that you can’t help but spoil it for yourself, but ‘Bastard’ took on a life of its own from the second it left the studio. I listened to it on repeat in the cab on the way home as if I was hearing it for the first time. I hope you like it too.”
‘Bastard’ is out now on XL.
