Teasing another taste of her new musical direction, singer, songwriter and producer yunè pinku shares her new single “Half Alive.” The second offering from her forthcoming Scarlet Lamb EP due October 4th via Method 808, the single boasts an atmospheric and cinematic quality that drifts and recoils, drawing listeners into its intoxicating soundscape. “Half Alive” is an open-hearted anthem driven by a ticking breakbeat and shimmering synth stabs. yunè pinku’s ethereal vocals soar above the mix, examining experiences of anxiety and depression in a Grimes-worthy falsetto across the duration of the track, a stark contrast to the track’s deep undercurrent.
Yunè played her US debut live shows to packed rooms in New York and LA last summer and a number of standout festival sets, including Primavera a la Cuitat, Hard Summer in LA, Sziget, and Field Day. Up next, she’ll join Caribou on tour beginning November 8th, playing shows across North America including dates at The Shrine in LA, the Great Hall at Avant Gardner in Brooklyn and Toronto’s Massey Hall.
First announced alongside her luscious collaborative single “Believe” with LA-based Canadian electronic artist Cecile Believe, Scarlet Lamb is an enchanting but ultimately pop-centric project that sees pinku consciously challenging her audience’s preconceptions. Beneath the balmy melodies and ASMR-evoking details there is a host of gothic imagery, with Jane Eyre, Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein cited as particular lyrical touchpoints. That fascination connects back to her love of gothic fables and to her Catholic schooling, as well as the current societal pertinence of ideas of responsibility and culpability.
yunè pinku stormed onto the music scene with the mesmeric and textural debut single “Laylo” in 2021, which marked the first puzzle piece of her effervescent inaugural EP Bluff. The burgeoning producer then followed Bluff with the critically acclaimed BABYLON IX EP. Written from a fever dream-induced lens, it saw a move away from the “sad girl garage” pinku had been making previously and envisioned a glossy, sci-fi landscape with huge, structured pop songs bolstered by her ethereal electronics, a multifaceted narrative drawing from psychology, ancient Celtic myths and Hindu stories.
Having collaborated with rising Australian dance star Logic1000 on breakout hit “What You Like” and receiving a co-sign from Joy Orbison, who invited her to contribute a guest mix during his Radio 1 residency, pinku has since received extensive press and radio support, securing a spot on Pitchfork’s “24 Great Records You May Have Missed” list last year, being highlighted as Stereogum’s “Artist To Watch,” and featuring in an emerging dance artist profile for Billboard. She has also lent her remix prowess to artists as varied as VTSS, Charli XCX, Disclosure, Hot Chip, all whilst finding key allies and support from the likes of industry heavyweights Pete Tong, Giles Peterson, Mary Anne Hobbs, Danny Howard and Clara Amfo to name a few.
Listen to “Half Alive” above, find the full list of upcoming live dates below, and stay tuned for more from yunè pinku coming soon.
Upcoming Live Dates
* = supporting Caribou
11/8 – Vancouver, BC @ PNE Forum*
11/9 – Portland, BC @ Roseland Theater*
11/10 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo*
11/12 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater*
11/13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Expo Hall*
11/15 – Denver, CO @ The Mission Ballroom*
11/17 – Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed*
11/18 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern*
11/19 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem*
11/20 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall*
11/21 – Brooklyn, NY @ Great Hall at Avant Gardner*
11/23 – Toronto, BC @ Massey Hall*
11/25 – Montreal, BC @ L’Olympia*