KAWALA bid a bittersweet farewell with their final release ‘KAWALA Collection’
One last hurrah for the indie-folk icons.
Photo: Press
Having established a steady growth of fans in 2015 from their debut on the YouTube channel Mahogany, a channel promoting artists across various genres to perform covers or their discography, acoustic duo Daniel McCarthy (guitarist/singer) and Jim Higson (vocalist) became a quintet. The band KAWALA now includes Ben Batten (drummer), Dan Lee (lead guitarist) and Reeve Coulson (bassist), leading to further transcending harmonies and more animated melodies contributing to the success of the debut D.I.L.Y.D EP. The title track Do It Like You Do, released in early 2018, peaked new listeners after festival appearances like Brighton’s The Great Escape and Live at Leeds in the lead-up to releasing this EP. The track still remains in the top three spot on Spotify, solidifying KAWALA’s sound of rhythmic and energising indie-folk.
Another EP came the following year, Counting the Miles – special shout out to the song Moonlight and their gorgeous Mahogany Session – before signing with EMI in time for their self-titled EP, KAWALA, and later their debut album, Better with You, in 2022. With a steady stream of singles being released last year, it was quite a shock to read about their decision to disband in December. After a decade of playing music, they stated a collective feeling of tiredness and being burnt out alongside a desire for a break to figure out their individual futures.
Yet fans, fear not! The Farewell Tour is around the corner (sadly with the exception of Ben, replaced with Bombay Bicycle Club’s Suren de Saram) and their last KAWALA project: an eight-track collection of the band’s favourite songs written over the years alongside brand-new ones out now.
Starting off strong with Time Slipping Away; from the get-go its gripping percussive sound makes your head want to bop along with the rhythm. The name is almost reflective of the band’s musical journey; as a fan myself, reminiscing the fleeting moments of my life associated with their songs. As well as being the first track, the message it sends “when life gets in the way / you’ll find a way around” paired with its bright uplifting melody cement the heart of the band as they say farewell.
Transitioning smoothly into Good Morning, carrying on a joyous vibrant energy with dreamy production and layered sounds. Classic KAWALA vocals transform the bridge as the rhythm section disperses before picking it back up. One that will hopefully be heard at one of the upcoming tour dates.
Changing the tempo to a chilled funky vibe is the popular What’s Up. Easily becoming one of my favourites due to its compelling riffs and demonstration of the band at its very best from tight harmonies to a brilliant laid-back tempo.
Leading onto another favourite of mine, being the contemplative and optimistic Old Me as the band reflects on their future older selves, and examines what they have already achieved. A song seamless in its creation filled with a lot of emotion and love for each other. Each song created in this collection signifies the journey of KAWALA, this song in particular with a beautifully seamless melody featuring a captivating synth exhibits how their departure is a true loss for indie music.
Throughout this mini-album, it is hard not to pretend you’re in a convertible driving on a rare summer’s day in the UK, when in reality you’re wrapped up in thermals. The combination of synth, drums, bass and guitar riffs creates an instant obsession for fans in Make A Difference. From the first drum beat, you are obliged to start jumping, this is a song I can see being electric live as it feels like it was made to be performed on stage and sung along to with such a catchy chorus.
Each track is filled with a hypnotising sound unable to escape your brain after finishing the album. This is an album you will want on repeat with each song being able to fit into any playlist you create. As their final album, it proves just how talented KAWALA as a group are. Grab those last remaining tickets because this will be a tour that needs to be experienced. The KAWALA Collection is a bittersweet but wonderful end to a decade of consistently brilliant material.
KAWALA Collection is out now via EMI.
