We premiere Forgottensong’s latest release, ‘Shirts And Skins’, a stripped back and raw track from the duo who have been working together since 2000.
Comprising Scott Allyn and Mark Doyle, Forgottensong is a truly international collaboration, with the two artists based in Barcelona and Syracuse. With true musical precision, the pair work hard to create an indie-folk-rock style that leaves plenty of room for their tight composition, rich instrumentation, and thoughtful conceptualisation to shine through.
Forgottensong’s characteristic lyricism and hyper-specific storytelling has long been something the fans have come to expect, and they certainly don’t miss with the tight rhymes and metaphors of ‘Shirts And Skins. On the one hand, this could be the telling of a tale of a couple who are torn between fighting for their relationship and letting it go; on the other, it could be a reflection on the flat feeling we’re all experiencing at the moment, looking at the state of the world. Lines such as “I’m the fool that’s gotta fight As if being cruel could make it right” and “And I don’t know who’s right or wrong anymore And I don’t wanna fight I’m just too tired of keeping score” vividly portray the exhaustion felt when going through it all, and could equally apply to either situation. Forgottensong have been able to capture the devastating feeling perfectly, accompanied by a steady drum beat, and restrained, mellow guitar rhythms. Scott Allyn’s vocals are also stripped back, fully conveying the tension and frustration.
The music video further reflects this stripped-back vibe. Self-produced by Scott, we see just him and his guitar, singing to an empty room, with subtle shifts in colour and, at times, a world-weariness, which lifts at the end with the soaring electric guitar. ‘Shirts And Skins’ is a track that listeners will return to over and over, and get a different vibe each time – it’ll be interesting to see what it feels like listening to it when the world is in a better place than it is now.
Watch the music video for ‘Shirts And Skins’ below, and let us know what you think. You can find out more about Forgottensong and their music online on their official website, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
