Tirzah has just released a new single today (20 May) titled ‘Sink In,’ along with a music video. This is her second single release in 2021 after she previously dropped ‘Send Me’ in April, which also had a music video to accompany it. The Essex singer, born Tirzah Mastin, has had a longstanding partnership with fellow musicians Coby Sey and Mica Levi, and these latest two songs are also a result of their collaboration.
Director Leah Walker worked on Tirzah’s last music video, and she returns to direct the music video for this song as well. The choreography is created and performed by Lewis Walker and Tylor Deyn (pseudonym illyr), both London-based dancers, in a dark and unstable setting with water at the dancers’ feet. As with many of her songs and videos, the meaning is left open to interpretation. When asked about her writing style in an interview with Pitchfork, the ‘Devotion’ singer explained, “They’re quite like abstract thoughts, really, just listed in a way. There’s never a plan. Or if there is a plan, I start writing and then it all comes apart and starts going somewhere else.”
Behind the scenes, we find that the artist ‘Tirzah’ is really a continuous joint effort between close friends Tirzah Mastin and Mica Levi. Mastin shared that she had a classical focus at the Purcell School for Young Musicians in Watford that pushed her away from wanting to pursue music as a career. So while she was studying textiles in London, Levi asked her to do vocals on a track and discovered she could sing. This was the start of their collaborative efforts, and they’ve been working together ever since. Mastin talks a bit about why she doesn’t have much of an online presence and how essential Levi is to the core of this project:
“I don’t see it as my thing, I see it as our thing. It’s mine and Mica’s work. Calling it “Tirzah” was a split-second decision, and I didn’t have intentions to be a solo artist. It’s only through doing what I’ve done with Mica that it feels right. Any other odd bits I’ve done with other people always felt quite strange, because that’s not really why I’m doing it. I’m doing it because I like doing it with my mate.”
This year is her first time releasing new music since her debut album ‘Devotion’ in 2018. She has a relaxed approach to music making, social media, and more, and this reserved personality comes through in her sound. Regardless of her internet presence, Tirzah has managed to capture the ears of a steadily growing fanbase of devoted listeners who enjoy each crafted release. You can catch her performing some of her beloved songs at Gala Friday in London’s Peckham Rye Park on 30 July. Tickets can be found here.
