Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Gabriel Teodros, host of Early on KEXP, is "Memory" by Witch Prophet, from the 2023 album Gateway Experience from Heart Lake Records.
Toronto-based neo-soul artist Ayo Leilani aka Witch Prophet recently unveiled her third studio album, Gateway Experience, which delved into her personal experience with focal aware seizures, sometimes known as Déjà vu or Déjà reve. They’re out-of-body experiences that include lucid dreaming and memory loss. “If I came out with an album like this five years ago, it would probably be a little too witchy,” says the former Polaris-shortlisted artist. “Now it’s a lot less scary to talk about.”
Our Song of the Day, “Memory,” deals directly with the memory loss aspect of her unique condition. “I’m at a loss for words /Can’t remember the last time /I’ve been here /Yeah my memory keeps fading fast /Trying to hold on to the bit I have,” croons Leilani over a downtempo R&B beat. She receives backup from another shining Canadian artist, Begonia, who was nominated for a JUNO Award for Adult Alternative Album Of The Year for her critically acclaimed 2017 EP Lady In Mind and was shortlisted for The Polaris Music Prize for her 2019 debut full-length.
"’Memory’ is about my struggle with memory loss and brain fog,” Leilani explains. “There are some days where I can't get the right words out, where I can't remember something as simple as someone's name or whether I've taken my medication (moments after taking it). While working on the album I had a dream where I was singing with Begonia. When I woke up she just happened to be on TikTok live. I joined and told her about my dream and she turned it into a reality."
Watch the Francesca Nocera-directed claymation video for “Memory” below.
