Emerging soul balladeer Otis Kane ushers in the new year with his sophomore album, Violet, via Nettwerk Music Group.
The soulful set is preceded by the singles “Morning Sun,” “Dance With You,” “Honey” with Sugar Joans, “Genius,” “Scorpio,” and the latest offering, “Tomorrow.”
Regarding the lead offering, “Morning Sun,” he shared, “My studio is bathed in sunlight every morning, which inspired the lyrics. The sun always shining on me here in LA makes it easy to write about its warmth and positivity.”
Violet blooms with soul-nourishing tunes, with love at its root. On the yearning “Breathe,” Kane feels without air whenever his lover isn’t around. Meanwhile, the tender acoustic ballad “Heartbeat” is a plea for affection. “I just wanna feel your heartbeat next to me / I just wanna close my eye so I can see,” he sings on the latter tack.
Kane says the follow-up to his debut album, Purple BLUE, represents an evolution. “Creating [Violet] has been a true joy and an incredible experience. These songs represent a real evolution for me, both as an artist and a person. The album is a journey through my musical influences, my most creative moments, and some of my happiest times,” says Kane.
He adds, “Most of this music was carefully crafted with my closest collaborators, D Mills and Peter Simon, alongside a few other very talented creatives who helped me push the boundaries of what I could imagine and create. The result is an album I’m incredibly proud of, and I can’t wait for the world to hear it!”
Regarding the cover art, he notes, “The artwork was inspired by my love for ’70s record sleeves and the beautiful portraits found on soul LPs of that era.”
Following the release of his Growing Pains EP in February 2021, Otis Kane released Purple BLUE that June. “This album is truly a step into my world. Every song is a reflection of my life, all of the music a representation of my taste, and what moves me,” Kane explained. “If you listen from top to bottom, you can feel how the music and the stories exist together like different scenes of the same movie.”
Kane was scheduled to perform at his Violet album release party on Jan. 9 at Gold-Diggers in Los Angeles. However, due to the devasting California wildfires, he has postponed the show. A new date has not been announced at this time.
Stream Otis Kane’s new album Violet below. A vinyl edition of the album is available for presave at otiskane.com.