South Coast singer-songwriter ioakim is opening a new door into the dreamy and experimentally charged soundscape he’s dreamt up. His new single ‘tongue tied’ is a brighter exploration of his debut single ‘used to’, and reimagines this next chapter after signing to Arcadia Records.
With early comparisons already being drawn to Tame Impala and Empire Of The Sun, this track actually feels really reminiscent of Swedish indie-pop act Urban Cone. There’s an anthemic and festival ready ear-worm hook that is contrasted with an undertone of vulnerability. From the very first listen it will have you ready to bounce around and hold onto the ones you love most in the summer sun. With experimental production moments shining through, he inserts a spoken-word audio excerpt halfway through that adds another layer of lyrical context to the ideology behind the track.
Exploring the importance of communication, the introspective track hears him questioning the relationships he has and if they would be better off with time apart. “Sometimes I can’t help but wonder what this really means. Do things only get better so they can get worse means” he reflectively sings. But sometimes the toxicity is what is the most exciting that draws you back and he highlights that with the opening lyric; “Tell me why it feels like a movie when we make up”.
‘tongue tied’ is an exciting release for ioakim as it hears him honing a big hook that is ready to propel him to festival stages. Hopefully he has more summer bangers for us on the way, because I am READY.