New Zealand’s Thomas Powers (of The Naked & Famous), just released his latest single “Half Pirouette.” A dreamy nocturne of muted piano and swooping strings out now on all major platforms.
Thomas’ solo work has two faces, the elegant but slightly glitchy electro pop that you heard on “Li” earlier this year, and a kind of lush neo-classical minimalism, almost film score music. “Half Pirouette” is a great example of the latter side, a side that has hardly seen the light of day before.
These days, I enjoy dancing at home in my living room and kitchen, but I’ve mostly been afraid to dance. In my youth, few situations seemed to warrant it, and it often felt performative. I do, however, love making music for others to dance to, and Half Pirouette is a song I wrote for my partner to take to her ballet rehearsal.
I have always been deeply inspired, both as a listener and creator of instrumental music. Often, beginning with a purely instrumental piece is vital for me to find the motivation to write lyrics, but music without words can transcend language. I hope that “Half Pirouette” doesn’t need an explanation but that its meaning is unmistakable.
Venturing into the sonic landscape of “Half Pirouette” felt a little intimidating, coming from a rock/guitar background, but Bowie said, ‘If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.’
“Half Pirouette is the latest offering from Thomas Powers as he gears up for the full release of his debut LP, A Tyrant Crying In Private, coming in 2024. What do you think of his latest single?
