Robin Kester is the newest signee to Memphis Industries, home of the Go! Team, Field Music, and more Stereogum favorites. The Dutch chamber pop musician has two albums under her belt — 2020's This Is Not A Democracy and 2023's Honeycomb Shades — and today she's releasing the magnificent new song "Departure."
"Departure" was made with producer Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, Perfume Genius) and inspired by dreamy acts like Portishead and Air, whose influence is present in the tune's tranquil, otherworldly texture. Kester's voice is fragile yet impactful, especially surrounded by luminescent synths and backing vocals by Rozi Plain of This Is The Kit.
"Most of 'Departure' is based on a diary entry dating back to when I was thinking about maybe moving again (because I often moved someplace else during childhood and kept doing so in my adult life, thinking it might help whenever I felt unhappy)," Kester explains. "But at the same time I knew this literal escapism didn’t really ever solve anything. When I used this diary entry as part of the lyrics, I was afraid they were maybe too on the nose and perhaps I also felt a bit vulnerable because I’m more used to writing in a way that lets me hide things underneath lyrics and melodies."
Listen below.
