Constance Keane, the Irish artist, musician and producer better known as Fears has shared a particularly special, painful song. Prominently featuring the cello of her late, close friend Sophie Gwen Williams, an adored trans rights activist and musician who tragically passed away last year, it’s a sadly serene offering.
Indeed, it possesses the sort of beauty that may well haunt you. With a beat influenced by the traditional Irish drum, the bodhrán, Williams’ aching cello is complimented by Keane’s hushed, quietly wounded vocals. It’s a beautiful lament to the empty solace (or lack thereof) of hindsight.
Speaking on the song, and their collaboration, Keane shares, “Sophie was an incredible artist and a very close friend of mine. We did a filmed performance together last March, thinking we’d get a chance to record it ‘properly’ in a studio, but she passed away before we could. Zoe and I dedicate the video for “16” to her memory. I had made her a dress for the original performance out of pink tulle – the same fabric I have with me in the video. She was a really inspirational and encouraging person, and I wanted to create something that shows how I carry her with me, even though I no longer have her physically here.“
The video for the song, directed by Zoe Greenway, is dedicated to Williams. Check it out below.
