With sultry vocals and vulnerable lyricism, this track is an intoxicating and authentic ballad of the pain that inevitably comes with love.

Photo: Brandon William Fletcher

Vancouver-based and JUNO-nominated, Kandle Osborne is an independent artist who was not fazed by the pandemic, but actually empowered by it. She saw the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to refine her production skills, as well as launch her own company and, of course, release an abundance of music in 2020. Now, she is back with her latest album Set The Fire, of which When It Hurts appears on.

When It Hurts is a captivatingly modern rendition of vintage soul, with sensual 60s girl group-style vocals and smooth bass guitar. Kandle’s lyrics, such as “I buried my heart in your backyard,” possess a raw and admirable transparency which you cannot help but relate to.

The arresting track is complete with a cinematically stunning music video, starring Bates Motel’s Keenan Tracey and Kandle herself. The two artists star as a couple who are stuck in a paralysing loop of a failed love, as both are afraid to leave and experience the unknown.

Kandle shares:

Every time I write a song I see images, colours and narratives play out in my head. Having the ability to express my music visually is paramount for me. Luckily at the start of the pandemic, I found the Paul Thomas Anderson to my Jonny Greenwood, Brandon William Fletcher, who miraculously brings each nuanced lyric and broad spectrum narrative to life – the perfect marriage of mood and melody. This record is a metaphorical portrayal of my life in quantum time and in parallel universes. And thanks to Brandon, it’s become a cohesive collection of short films to express the happenings of my inner world.

Alluring and seductive, When It Hurts is an excitingly original depiction of toxicity and heartbreak, and the vivid visuals are just as striking.