15 October 2020 - 0 Comments

Out now, via UK label Aphrodite, Auckland based Sheep, Dog & Wolf’s upcoming single Cyclical marks a long awaited and triumphant return from a special talent who has suffered his fair share of setbacks. Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and for pop polymath Daniel McBride the road has been littered with obstructions and traumatic events for the best part of a decade. Yet the battle to overcome them has elevated his songwriting, with new single Cyclical showcasing his unique ability to document a young life in disarray, against a complex backdrop bridging mutant R&B, post-classical minimalism and electronica. He had this to say of the relief, the ecstasy, and the inevitable comedown of the anxiety ridden creative process the song is about:

"Cyclical is a map of the creative cycle. The initial stages, with ideas and sounds and words swirling without any structure; the moment that it all comes together for the first time, and starts to feel solid; the doubt and confusion that inevitably sets in as the creative flow stalls; the absolute ecstasy as it returns and everything falls into place; and the comedown afterwards, knowing that you'll never experience the piece in that same way again.”

Cyclical is the Sheep, Dog & Wolf’s first release since McBride’s debut full-length Egospect dropped in 2013 to critical acclaim. It followed the multi-instrumentalist’s Ablutophobia EP which had garnered praise from the likes of The Guardian (UK) and Vogue and propelled the then 17-year-old into the spotlight. Instead of capitalising on the reviews by rushing overseas to tour, he studied composition in Wellington where he realised the equal importance of having an emotional connection to songwriting over just an intellectual concept. When he did accept an offer to tour Europe, it inspired him to make an album to take on the road, and Egospect was born. It saw him win the Critics’ Choice Prize at the New Zealand Music Awards and make the shortlist at 2014’s Taite Prize (won that year by Lorde). “I’m still really proud of that record,” McBride notes. “But I’ve moved on since.”

Cyclical marks the start of a new chapter for McBride, who reflects on a cycle of his life that has thrown everything in his path from chronic sinusitis and anxiety, to family illness, assault and concussion. Then, as Aphrodite was about to release the track, the world went into lockdown. “I stopped believing I would even release this,” McBride sighs. “But so much has happened, and I wasn’t destroyed.” Finally, his patience has paid off, and with body and mind restored, everything is in its right place for the next chapter.

Sheep, Dog & Wolf
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Cyclical - out now

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