Field Medic announces debut full-length with disarmingly honest new single “henna tattoo”

For those aware of Field Medic’s fairly extensive catalogue on Bandcamp, it might come as some surprise that the forthcoming album fade into dawn is his first proper full-length for Run For Cover Records. Via a combination of deeply personal lyrics and a welcome douse of black humour (2018’s “santa made me do it” is absolutely worth a listen), Field Medic has managed to accrue a loyal fanbase and carve a distinct name for himself in the folk scene.

“henna tattoo” is a short, sombre listen from the Los Angeles-based artist as a way of pre-empting the record. Against a hauntingly sparse backing of an acoustic guitar and Patrick’s boom box drum machine, he sings openly about the battle to retain a sense of sanity amid anxieties from everyday life. Questions such as “is this love?” and “is it gonna come true if I say it?” arise, questions that speak to the internal doubts everyone experiences from time to time. There's a glimmer of assurance when he sings “you’re my love can’t you see / I’m your man”, but there’s no overriding lesson here. This is simply a man singing plainly and honestly about his struggles. And it’s all the more devastating because of it.

"It's a song about being afraid to speak up for fear of what the truth might be", explains Patrick. "So instead you remain in a state of unease & anxiety, because at least perpetual uncertainty isn't as bad as the imagined worst case scenario".