Violet Skies wrote her urgent, new single in the midst of an “existential crisis.”
Back in 2019, the Welsh singer/songwriter was in London “after Notre Dame burnt down” and “there was a crazy cold snap in LA,” which led to her reflecting on life: “How we settle for the wrong life, the wrong love, the wrong governments and the way we treat our planet,” she says.
The result is “Settle,” co-written and co-produced by Skies and UK duo The Nocturns. “There’s still snow in California and Paris is on fire,” she begins on the intimate ballad, repeating that “the world is upside down.” Earlier this week, she described the release on Instagram as a “risk,” veering away from the “v v v pop” sounds of earlier singles like "The Internet."
Despite it being raw and stripped down, though, “Settle” offers a very universal message during a time when life feels particularly fragile: “Tomorrow will be too late if you’re wishing for yesterday,” she sings above a soaring piano melody. “Nothing will ever change if you settle.”
For the music video, premiering today on PAPER, Skies teamed up with Director Greta Isaac to create something "incredibly personal" that highlights the "bravery it takes to change your life and deviate from what’s easy."
Skies explains how they shot it at her grandparents’ house in Brighton and “didn’t change a thing” about the surroundings. “It’s all just as my grandparents keep it, vintage china tea set included.” The clothes are also relics of the past, as Skies wears everything borrowed, vintage, upcycled or second hand throughout the visual.
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Skies’ family has had a significant influence on this chapter of music. “Settle” is lifted off her forthcoming album, If I Saw You Again (out June 17), named after a memory of hiding away from the world at her grandmother’s Pontypridd home when Skies almost abandoned her artist career entirely after a run of bad luck.
"'Settle' is the song I knew was immediately meant for the album," says Skies, whose also written material for artists like LÉON, Diana Ross and Mabel. "Vocally it was the hardest to record, but feels more like me than anything I’ve made in a long time."
Photo courtesy of Jade DeRose
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