George Ward
Freelance journalist and online editor for CLUNK. Can be found out and about in Bristol, finding cheap records or having a pint on King Street.
Skydaddy returns with new single ‘Mushrooms’, tackling the 2020 chemical explosion in his familial country of Lebanon
London-born Lebanese/Grenadian artist Skydaddy may be a relatively new name to many but, over the last couple of years, Rachid Fakhre has been building a name for himself. Following a support slot with Black Country, New Road with a duet with BC,NR’s very own Tyler Hyde on ‘Tear Gas’, his debut EP ‘Pilot’ was a gorgeously warm and folky project.
Now, on his first new music since, Skydaddy has released new single ‘Mushrooms’. The track is confusing; it could easily be passed off as a very well-written and breezy indie pop song. But, once a slightly off-kilter lyric catches your ear, you might dig a little deeper and discover that the subject matter is in fact the 2020 chemical explosion that took the lives of at least 218 people in Beirut.
Fakhre’s own uncle lost his eye in the explosion, which, when added to his own Lebanese heritage, makes for a fascinating and moving track, never over-dramatised or sentimentalised. Instrumentally, the track is lush, with warm acoustic guitar strums, catchy vocals and thoughtful arrangement.
If you didn’t already have a reason to check out the track, the indie supergroup backing choir made up of Ethan P Flynn, BC,NR, Tapir!, Ugly and Silver Gore might just convince you.
Listen to ‘Mushrooms’ here: