Richmond’s surreal, genre-defiant musician EXUM (Antone Exum Jr.) shared his serene new single + video “Bend Down,” the latest taste of his upcoming album hole, out October 25.
The stripped down single has a lo-fi, folk-leaning sound, as Elliott Smith-esqe whispery vocals rest on crisp, acoustic guitar. The track slowly gains momentum with the addition of a minimal drum beat and a wistful harmonica, closing out with layered, looping vocals repeating “Bend down to the home grown folk,” as if an incantation.
EXUM explains, “It feels like I’ve known everyone for a very long time, and very deeply. My eyes soften to everything, and service comes up for me too. This is just how it makes me feel, none of this was thought of while I was making it.”
A veteran NFL star, having played for six years with the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings, Antone Exum Jr. stepped away from his football career in 2019. Following a near death experience in 2020, he had a renewed sense of life and started down his developing creative path, turning to music with the stage name EXUM.
Across his expanding music career, EXUM’s sound has transcended all genres, moving through rap and hip-hop before eventually broadening his musical horizons into a surreal, eclectic feel. On his upcoming fourth album hole, EXUM says, “It was an attempt that I deemed believable enough, and that took the attention off of me. To me, it ended up as an activity, one that’s exercising something you can’t see.” He expands, “I like to capture something pure. Bring it into my experience and sit with a replica attempt of God’s work.”
Are you vibing with EXUM’s new single “Bend Down”?
