Amber Bain has been making music under the moniker The Japanese House since she released her debut EP back in 2015 but it wasn’t until last year that the singer released her acclaimed debut album, Good At Falling. Bain has been working on new music since and is now releasing a new EP along with the focus track “Dionne,” which features Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon.
On the atmospheric track, Bain’s voice croons over soaring synths and a driving beat. “I know it’s not very sexy when somebody loves you this much and knows you this well / But that the way it is,” she sings. Vernon’s voice arrives at the intricately layered chorus with a washed-out vocal track crumbling under crashing snares.
Speaking to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe about how the collaboration came to be, Bain said she was honored by Vernon’s verse because his music has been of great influence to her:
“It’s kind of crazy because I’m obviously a massive, massive fan of his music, I have been since he released that first album. I think there’s certain moments in your career where you have to part of how magic it is, is you have to say to yourself imagine telling yourself that this is going to happen 10 years ago, I wouldn’t be able to believe it. Almost, I can’t wait for my friends from school that he was friends with, we loved Bon Iver to hear this song. It’s just madness. It’s really nice to still have that feeling of being amazed and feel there’s something really special and magical. I guess there are certain things when you’ve been a musician and you can play a big venue and then the next time you play a big venue doesn’t feel the same. But with this, it’s just I still feel like a teenage girl, just like myself.”
Listen to “Dionne” above and find The Japanese House’s Chewing Cotton Wool tracklist below.
1. “Sharing Beds”
2. “Something Has To Change”
3. “Dionne”
4. “Chewing Cotton Wool”
Chewing Cotton Wool is out now via Dirty Hit Records. Get it here.