Nigerian-born, New York-based artist Toulouse has been impressing us with singles like "So I Know You Care" and collaborations like "Time We Had" with SG Lewis, but now he's ready to release his debut EP. Extended Plea will be released September 15 via Terrible Records (Empress Of, Blood Orange, Kindness) and "Hurtin," premiering below, is the next single.
Toulouse's soulful voice is immediately captivating, but the arrangement here is inventive too, with strings, horns, and guitar keeping the listener on their toes throughout. We've learned to expect the unexpected from Toulouse, a self-taught musician who helped secure his place at NYU's Clive Davis Institute by singing over the phone because his computer didn't have a camera for a Skype interview.
"Hurtin' is a simple song about thorough self reflection about...you guessed it...hurting," Toulouse explains. "Not a specific event, but the mindset that a lot of us can be slave to. It can be like walking around with a perpetual ache. There is a continuum present with the last song I put out 'Reach Out.' Meaning I am doing the work of being aware of, investigating and ultimately accepting that I be radically honest with myself even if I am staring at a grotesque image on the other side. It's half the battle of being a better person."
Listen to "Hurtin" below and pre-order Extended Plea here.
