2017 was a banner year for Hiatus Kaiyote frontwoman Nai Palm, whose soulful voice not only popped up on the intro of Drake's More Life, but she also blessed fans with her solo debut album Needle Paw.
The project is a master class in doing more with less, with Palm's sweet vocals gliding over acoustic guitar strings for an intimate performance that feels like she's singing directly to you throughout. "This record is a very personal leap into the deep end," she said around the time of its release. "I wanted to make something with no landmarks to hide behind and no team to fall back on." It's fair to say she pulled it off.
One of the standout tracks off Needle Paw, "Homebody," receives the visual treatment today, and it features Palm showing off her fire dance skills in a serene body of water. The juxtaposition is simply stunning.
“Shooting the video for ‘Homebody’ was really personal for me,” Palm tells Complex. “I wanted to celebrate where I come from. My stage name Nai Palm was originally my fire performance name predating any music endeavors. The Hume Weir where we filmed is close to Mount Beauty where I grew up. It was once a valley that was lived in and was eventually evacuated to become a dam. The old eucalyptus trees are still standing in the water and in my early teens I was haunted by their presence. This is my first attempt at executing visual concepts, editing, etc.”
Get hypnotized by Nai Palm's fire dance by checking out the video for "Homebody" above. You can grab Needle Paw at your digital retailer/streaming service of choice here, while a vinyl edition featuring 2-LP 180 gram records in gatefold jacket is set for release Feb. 2. It also comes with a lyric insert and art print. A pre-order for that is available on Palm's official website.
And hoping for the stars to align for a new collab between these two 🙏
