WILLOW KAYNE: ‘FINAL NOTICE' (New Release)

Anna Mounteney

‘Final Notice’ is Willow Kayne’s new single that came out this week alongside Human Traffic (1999) inspired music video. It is her first single following her EP Playground Antics which was released earlier this year.

The song is described as a love letter to the junglist stylings of her hometown Bristol. ‘Final Notice’ echoes sounds of M-beat and Roni Size recontextualising classic jungle into a mix of sounds and layering that explodes into blissful anarchy. The eclectic ensemble combines elements of retro-futurism through dub-inspired basslines, frenetic beats, horns and of course Kayne’s lyrics.

'Final Notice' proposes a different sound from Playground Antics, but Kayne states she’s never felt this ‘me’ in [her] life. The single's jungle-pop fusion remains consistent in her defiance of genre and lyrics. When previously asked about her genre, she replied this bloody question. I don’t think I know; I don’t think anyone else knows and I think that’s alright.

Her lyrics are as disobedient as her genre. The chaotic mix of sound combined with her lyrics creates the ultimate rebel-pop anthem. Her single remarks on the industry as she states, stop telling me what to do and highlights some deeper complexities as a young woman creating music in 2022 when the song mockingly states: post more, wear less but most importantly don’t be yourself.

Her confidence comes through in the music video where Kayne demonstrates her acting skills alongside her musical talent. The visuals also pay tribute to the rave culture that inspires her creativity. She traces her musical roots to her childhood where she was surrounded by hip-hop and house. Kayne states her early influences were James Brown, Nas and MF DOOM, discovering artists such as Portishead, the Sex Pistols, and Gorrliaz later. Her imaginative palette comes to fruition not only in her music but in art, fashion, and her desire to make the listening experience holistic (she is currently experimenting with olfactory elements for her live gigs).

It is unsurprising Willow Kayne’s vivid sounds and visions given her mother created videos for the likes of Erasure and the Prodigy. Coming from a musical family Kayne reminisces producing music through Garageband in her early teens and later experimented with a logic manual and MIDI keyboard, she then went on to release her music on SoundCloud gaining instant recognition. She recalls groups of other young creatives doing similar, and as she continued making music she assimilated into these groups and the ‘underground scene.’

However, Willow Kayne is fast becoming an acclaimed and original voice musically in her own right. In September she picked up the second-ever Rising Star Awards at the Ivor Novello Awards, and the same month her music was featured on FIFA 22’s football soundtrack. Later this summer, Willow Kayne will play alongside Gorillaz at their All Points East headline show.