In April, North Carolina-based artist Karl Kuehn, who records under the alias Gay Meat, issued his first full-length album, Blue Water. The collection unfolds as a quiet, affectionate meditation on the passage of years and the gradually mounting ache that accompanies looming grief. Earlier this week, Gay Meat resurfaced with a fresh track titled Leslie, crafted for Blue Water but ultimately left out of the final tracklist. The song feels at once precious and devastating, a small, intimate piece that lingers after listening.
“It began as a letter addressed to someone already gone, a note seeking clarity about how the living hold on to memories of the dead,” Kuehn explained about the piece. “But its meaning has evolved for me since my mother’s passing as well. And when we started layering French horn textures in the studio, I sensed we were onto something substantial.”
Take a listen below.
Blue Water is out now via Skeletal Lightning.
