By the close of the month, Elena Tonra, the vocalist behind the indie-folk outfit Daughter, will unveil a fresh record from her side project Ex:Re, titled Save As. The first glimpse arrived in the form of “Radio Station,” and just this week the artist unveiled the next single, “Sleep.”
“Sleep” began life as a rough demo captured inside a Parisian hotel room. It is built around a repeating acoustic-guitar loop that is processed through a vocoder and a drum machine, yielding a hazy, almost drifting atmosphere. Tonra’s voice stays crystal-clear, while the production casts a wavering veil of shadows around it.
In a press release, Tonra described the track as having a “late-night, after-hours” vibe, something she could see herself dancing to. Given the song’s title “Sleep” and the line “guess there’s nothing left to do but sleep,” the contrast is a touch amusing. Yet the track carries a restive energy, suggesting that sleep might not be the only option. The final lyric lands with impact: “I fall apart in taxis/ I free myself on dance floors.”
Listen below.
Save As is out 10/30 on 4AD. Pre-order it here.
