Bess Atwell returns with new single 'Sylvester'

Following on from the release of her highly-praised 2021 LP 'Already, Always', Bess Atwell has now returned to share a brand new single.

The new track 'Sylvester' was produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner, and comes accompanied by a stunning new video, directed by Dylan Friese-Greene.

Speaking about the new offering, she said, “Sylvester is a character I created on a family holiday as a child to make my parents laugh. It’s a song primarily about family, the roles we play to keep the peace, and the desire for a more genuine form of connection. Relational dynamics have often felt like a performance to me which has left me feeling lonely, acutely aware that we’re mostly just going through the motions of connection. This makes more sense to me than ever before with a recent diagnosis of autism, and it's where the cyclical, relentless imagery of running on a track comes from. Aaron (Dessner) did a brilliant job in bringing out the essence of the song with his production and instrumentation. The ambient lead guitar was one of the first things we recorded, his intuitive first instinct capturing the expansive, beautiful - but ultimately uncontrollable - essence of family and history. My only real non-negotiable was that the song had a sense of urgency and drive in the choruses which Aaron nailed with repetitive and ascending patterns.”

Watch the new video for 'Sylvester' in the player below.

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