It’s been nearly a year since we first introduced you to Touma, the solo project of local indie staple Kacie Williams, with the premiere of her etherial, Aaron Marsh produced debut (at least under the Touma moniker) single, “Bodyguard.”
Since then, Williams has stayed extraordinarily busy, performing as part of local emo/indie outfit Early Humans, and even co-founding something of a Nashville indie supergroup, No Dancing. Throughout it all (and despite the music industry upending pandemic that has thrown 2020 plans awry), though, we’ve been eagerly anticipating more Touma, and, today, Kacie has delivered just that in the form of a stellar brand new single, “Fading Out (Epilogue)”!
And as with “Bodyguard,” we’re beyond thrilled to bring you an exclusive premiere of Touma’s official music video for her latest tune, which you can watch right now below!
Not a complete departure from her first track, “Fading Out (Epilogue)” is still distinctly different, providing us a clearer picture of the range and stylistic influence with which Williams approaches Touma. Where “Bodyguard” felt more lush, orchestral, and simmering in its slow, powerful delivery, “Fading Out,” while still packing a reflective and melancholy thematic punch, is much more bright and propulsive in its production, crossing into the territory of dance-primed electropop with nods to the likes of CHVRCHES, Tegan and Sara, or even Carly Rae Jepsen.
Written by Williams, produced by Hunter West, and mixed by Micah Tawlks, “Fading Out (Epilogue),” with its happy-sad juxtaposition and and infectiously catchy musicality, is, immediately, one of our absolute favorite tracks of the year, destined to become a fall playlist staple, and reaffirms why Touma is one of the single most exciting up and coming Nashville artists to watch.
In the vein of celebrated contemporary songwriters like Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers, Williams has honed a knack for succinctly and relatably penning and delivering lyrics that capture intense feelings of reflection and heartbreak, and beneath its shiny, dance pop veneer, “Fading Out” is definitely a personal and sad tune, if one with a sliver of optimism in its sense of closure.
“I wrote this song in the wake of a heartbreak — to immortalize the feeling of feeling forgotten, vanishing like a ghost from somebody’s life, if even against your own will at the time,” Williams tells us, “Luckily I’m on the other side of it now, and I intentionally wanted it to be a heartbreak anthem somebody could dance to… that way you can dance your way through the hurt, and dance again when you’ve reached your way onto the other side.”
As with her video for “Bodyguard,” Touma’s latest spot, which was once again shot, directed and edited by Luke Harvey of Mossflower Pictures, is a visually stunning, exceptionally well-crafted video for such a relatively new artist, featuring scenes of Williams passionately delivering the heartfelt and earnest song in a variety of stylish settings, including, most notably, in a pool and underwater.
You can watch the official video for “Fading Out (Epilogue)” below, and stream the single now on your platform of choice! Obviously there aren’t any live shows on the books for the foreseeable future, but we hope to bring you more Touma updates soon.
