Kaya Wilkins, who makes music under the name Okay Kaya, released her debut album, Both, last year. This past spring, the Norwegian-born musician announced her signing to Jagjaguwar with a cover of Cher's "Believe." Today, she's sharing the first single from her forthcoming sophomore album, which is due out next year.
"Ascend And Try Again" is sparse and beautifully still, a reminder-to-self to keep calm and relaxed in the face of pressure. "Blow your nose gently/ You shouldn't ever feel pain," Wilkins sings. "You could try wiggling/ You could try swallowing."
It was written after Wilkins was offered a part in a movie that would have required her to learn how to scuba dive. (Wilkins also acts on the side -- she'll be in an upcoming drama starring Game Of Thrones' Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.) She ended up not taking the part in that movie, but she got this song out of the experience as a result.
It comes with a music video, co-directed by Wilkins and Adinah Dancyger, that was shot at a Japanese hot spring. Watch and listen below.
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"Ascend And Try Again" is out now. Okay Kaya's new album is out in 2020 via Jagjaguwar.
