Naomi Pilgrim - Sink Like A Stone

Today, Swedish/Barbadian artist Naomi Pilgrim makes her much-anticipated return with "Sink Like A Stone," her first new single since 2014 and the title track off her forthcoming second EP, due out on June 3rd via Cosmos. Co-written with Henrik Jonzon, "Sink Like A Stone" was inspired by African-American Eric Garner's tragic death in New York in 2014.

Speaking on the track, Naomi says:

"Eric Garner died because of the color of his skin. And despite the fact that structural racism permeates society to a point where it leads to this kind of modern-day lynching, many of us choose to ignore it. If we want to turn things around we need to fight the fear-mongering, take a good look at our history, and most importantly, start listening to each other."



Naomi Pilgrim first broke out in 2013 with her debut solo single "No Gun" after years of singing backup for Lykke Li and other artists. In 2014 she released her self-titled debut EP, which garnered her praise across the board with critics comparing her to likes of Sade and Lauryn Hill. Naomi also performed across Europe drawing large crowds at festivals like Sweden's Way Out West and Norway's By:Larm. Perhaps more importantly, she’s travelled, written, and grown. Last year Naomi returned to her childhood home of Barbados for the first time in nearly a decade. The trip was an awakening, not least musically. As Naomi puts it:

"It was difficult to see how Barbados had grown into a kind of poverty I couldn’t recall from my childhood. At the same time I was reminded of the joy that can come from simplicity. It was an important trip that helped me understand how to use my Barbadian heritage in my music."

Her upcoming Sink Like A Stone EP is a powerful and painful reflection of Naomi's world. Naomi turns herself and society inside out, skillfully melodizing political developments like the far right's progression in Sweden and posing uncomfortable questions about cultural heritage, oppression, and fascism. Clearly Naomi Pilgrim is one artist who has put good use to her time away. Listen to "Sink Like A Stone" below.



Premiere via Pigeons and Planes.

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