Nick Hakim is no stranger to highly intimate music, and his latest single “Vertigo” does not break the pattern. The song’s hazy thrum holds you close, with the folk-soul musician once again showing his affinity for a touch of psychedelia. It is the second single released in the buildup to Hakim’s latest album Cometa, to be released via ATO Records on Oct. 21. The album as a whole serves as an exploration of floating love. “The key is to find that extremity of love for yourself,” Hakim says in a statement. “It’s about growing into someone you want to be; it’s about finding pure love within yourself when the world around us seems to be crumbling.”
Opening with a rhythmic, muted guitar, and surrounding you with Hakim’s echoing vocals, “Vertigo” suspends the listener, asking them to trust in this out-of-body experience. The lyrics emphasize, “Spinnin’, fast as hell can’t tell if it’s me or the room that’s moving.” And the music video released for the single definitely drives this point home.
The stunningly shot visuals, directed by Asli Baykal, are always in a state of tumbling, with Hakim and the surrounding scenery constantly being reframed in creative ways. The video was shot on location in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in a spinning house (yes, you read that right, a house that rotates on an axis) built by Vojin Kusic to please his wife. It’s hard to imagine something that better matches the track than that.
With this new single, Hakim has also announced release shows, and North American and European tours. You can find the dates and watch the video for the single below, along with Hakim’s 2017 Paste Studio session.
Nick Hakim Tour Dates:
October
20 – Nick Hakim presents COMETA – New York, NY @ TV Eye (SOLD OUT)
24 – Nick Hakim presents COMETA – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon (SOLD OUT)
27 – Nick Hakim presents COMETA – London, England @ Avalon Café (SOLD OUT)
January 2023
20 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
21 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
22 – Washington D.C. @ Union Stage
24 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe
27 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
28 – Nashville, TN @ The Blue Room
30 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
31 – Austin, TX @ Parish
February 2023
01 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
03 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
04 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
05 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriets
07 – Los Angeles, CA @ Regent
08 – San Francisco, CA @ Regency
10 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
11 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
12 – Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theater
March 2023
12 – Berlin, Germany @ Lido
13 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg OZ
15 – Paris, France @ Trabendo
16 – Brussels, Belgium @ Botanique Rotonde
18 – London, England @ The Forum
