That Nikki You Know capitulates to COVID and Christmas on the bittersweet new single and lyric video Give Me To The Season — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
An ethereal ballad from the Montreal musician, writer, poet and podcaster, Give Me To The Season is a dreamy mosaic of lush orchestral instrumentation and rich vocals that blend longing with acceptance. The beautifully sombre song previews the upcoming album Thursday Colours, due in March.
“When I was recording the bells at the opening of the song, someone walked past me — coughing,” Nikki recalls. “I didn’t intend to put the bells at the beginning until I heard how perfectly it set up this song; Give Me To The Season was about our first pandemic holiday season, and it just fit so well!”
Initially a quiet, simple number, Give Me To The Season evolved thanks to the contributions of musicians Nikki welcomed. “This song was meant to be very stripped down: Just me on guitar, Freddy Poulin on drums, and Dan Beasy on bass,” Nikki says. “Frisco Lee came early to the studio that day and sat down at the synth station we had set up. He really added the foundational synth flavour that coloured this whole track. Once we got our magic take, he overdubbed a piano track. I think it was his first take and it was perfect.”
Other players on the tune include Nikki’s former bandmate Nick Wagstaff on saxophone (recorded from New York), and the choir on the back half of the track. “The choir was mostly members of Gay & Grey Montreal,” Nikki explains. “I was their outreach worker this past year supporting older adults in the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. One of the singers, Dyane, is 70 years old and said that singing backup on a record was on her bucket list. It really was such a magical session.”
Finally, the song includes a sonic element not normally included in seasonal fare. “The extra sound on the last line of the song is a field recording that I got of me breaking a window,” Nikki shares. “I wanted to add some extra magic to help us break through this hard time and reach the other side. I actually had to break two windows.”
Check out Give Me To The Season above, hear more from That Nikki You Know below, and get to know them at their website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
