Phildel returns with sumptuous piano ballad ahead of UK tour

Twelve years on from her superb debut album, ‘The Disappearance of the Girl’, Phildel has lost none of her talent or prowess with her new single ‘Monument to Life’. Phildel’s wide vocal range is kept subdued for this chamber folk piano ballad, instead choosing to focus on a simple but emotional melody and refrain. It follows symphonic chamber pop single ‘Wild As Sin‘ (which is an absolute sophisti-pop bop) to showcase the gentler side of her music.

From the bold piano melodies to the smooth vocals, ‘Monument to Life’ is a song that lands its emotional gut punches by underselling itself around a big power chord setup. It sounds familiar, and its warm production gives a sense of cosy comfort despite the sad subject matter. Add in some subtle vocal layering and electric piano, and you have a classic. “Is love a thing?” Phildel repeatedly questions throughout the bridge, before concluding “love’s a thing”, even if that’s love purely for yourself. Squaring the circle in a humble realisation is what makes this track a cup of hugs.

Speaking about the track, Phildel said:

“This is about the isolating feeling of loving someone who isn’t capable of loving you back, despite the loyalty and love that you show them, leaving you questioning if you’ve ever known love at all. And then finally pulling yourself away and realising … it’s not unlike the feeling of losing a button down a crack. That relationship held so little love for you, and over time it becomes clearer that the true loss is actually quite small.

I really enjoyed arranging the rippling strings and composing the piano part for this song – there is something very natural in the way it all came together. Something about the pace of it means that when I sing and play it, I feel such a deep sense of freedom… perhaps that’s the freedom of being liberated from an unbalanced relationship.”

Whilst no EP or LP has been announced, Phildel is playing four shows for a mini UK tour next week. If you can get to Brighton, London, Manchester or Leeds next week, then you can grab tickets for a memorable live performance on Joy Concerts now. I was able to see Phildel in 2019, and it was a fantastic show.

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