‘On The Wing’ is the debut album from Yoshika Colwell - a captivating and sophisticated collection of eleven songs that traverse the outer regions of folk, it is a record of acceptance and self-discovery, rooted in solitude and personal healing, from one of the UK’s most exciting new singer-songwriters.
Life, for us all, comes in seasons: the bitter frosts and balmy awakenings that herald the literal passing of time, but also the periods of retreat and re-emergence that bookmark our own individual paths along this mortal coil. For Yoshika, the last decade has found her existing at both ends of the spectrum. Following a period of complete dislocation fuelled by a move to a new town, lockdown and a traumatic break-up all striking in quick succession, it would take a stretch of restorative isolation to bring her back to full creative and personal health. Now, however, all of that sadness and pain, acceptance and slow-dawning hope has been channeled into ‘On The Wing’. Speaking about the album, she says:
“This album is a bit of a shrine I suppose to all of the pivotal experiences that shaped me during my twenties and it’s also, I feel, a tentative lean towards hopefulness for the future.
It is, at its core, an album about acceptance and release, and freedom from old binds. It was an extremely emotional and cathartic record to make. It was a challenge to put all of the things I was scared to say into these songs, to finally let them out of my head without shying away from the ugly or unpalatable emotions, but it felt like the only thing to do.
The process felt quite ritualistic, akin to writing down the things you know you need to let go of on a piece of paper and burning it.”
Produced by Oli Bayston (Barry Can't Swim, Rachel Chinouriri), the album was recorded at Studio Orbb, where Yoshika recorded her critically acclaimed debut EP ‘There’s A Time’. Since then, a string of releases have seen support from The New Cue, BBC 6Music, Paste, The Line of Best Fit and Stereogum, to name a few, whilst Yoshika has played her first shows in the US at SXSW. This summer she plays The Great Escape, Moseley Folk Festival and End of the Road.
Life, for us all, comes in seasons: the bitter frosts and balmy awakenings that herald the literal passing of time, but also the periods of retreat and re-emergence that bookmark our own individual paths along this mortal coil. For Yoshika, the last decade has found her existing at both ends of the spectrum. Following a period of complete dislocation fuelled by a move to a new town, lockdown and a traumatic break-up all striking in quick succession, it would take a stretch of restorative isolation to bring her back to full creative and personal health. Now, however, all of that sadness and pain, acceptance and slow-dawning hope has been channeled into ‘On The Wing’. Speaking about the album, she says:
“This album is a bit of a shrine I suppose to all of the pivotal experiences that shaped me during my twenties and it’s also, I feel, a tentative lean towards hopefulness for the future.
It is, at its core, an album about acceptance and release, and freedom from old binds. It was an extremely emotional and cathartic record to make. It was a challenge to put all of the things I was scared to say into these songs, to finally let them out of my head without shying away from the ugly or unpalatable emotions, but it felt like the only thing to do.
The process felt quite ritualistic, akin to writing down the things you know you need to let go of on a piece of paper and burning it.”
Produced by Oli Bayston (Barry Can't Swim, Rachel Chinouriri), the album was recorded at Studio Orbb, where Yoshika recorded her critically acclaimed debut EP ‘There’s A Time’. Since then, a string of releases have seen support from The New Cue, BBC 6Music, Paste, The Line of Best Fit and Stereogum, to name a few, whilst Yoshika has played her first shows in the US at SXSW. This summer she plays The Great Escape, Moseley Folk Festival and End of the Road.
STAFF COMMENTS
Barry says: Beautiful flickering folky melodies and silky smooth vocals, rich in the folk tradition but also awash with non-traditional production and an uncharacteristic levity and easy joy. That's not to mention the more meditative pieces that could easily sit on the greatest Laura Marling albums, seamlessly sitting next to these joyful ballasts. It's stunning.TRACK LISTING
Side A
On & On
Last Night
In Bloom
Turn My Face Away
It’ll Never Be Enough
Into The Water
Side B
There’s Got To Be A Loser Babe
Fighting On The Wing
A Poem About Walking
Once In A Blue Moon
Maybe
