James Blake sings here of a struggling relationship. It needs to burn out like a forest fire, so that there can be a phoenix-like renewal.
The song features Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, who is an old friend of Blake's. They previously collaborated on "Fall Creek Boys Choir," a track from Blake's 2011 Enough Thunder EP. The South London singer told BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac of their collaboration: "I mean, [it was] an honor. He just sings gold and it comes out quickly and effortlessly and that's the kind of person he is."
James Blake spoke to Pitchfork about working with the Bon Iver musician: "I explored sitting at the piano and singing a lot more. I would talk with Justin Vernon, who is a great producer—a lot of people may not know that about him. He's a good person to talk to. Much like Rick [Rubin], actually. Justin is an incredibly warm man. We've become really good friends. When I first met him, it felt like we had been separated somewhere down the line and were meeting each other again. It was a very strange feeling. In the studio, he would say things like, 'Oh man, I love the chords in that track,' and that gave me so much confidence. Singing standing up at a mic with someone else recording was new, too; there never was any time to set up properly before."
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