Belgian-Egyptian songwriter Tamino has returned with a new single, “Sanctuary,” which features a vocal feature from none other than Mitski. The cut, which serves as the latest single from his forthcoming album Every Dawn’s a Mountain, is the only duet on the album, which Tamino wrote mostly by himself. The folk-rock track burns with a swirling atmosphere of acoustic guitars, subtle string flourishes, and brushed drums.
“Two weeks before our scheduled studio session, I had doubts about whether the current song was suitable enough for a duet,” Tamino shared of the single. “I teamed up with my friend Alessandro Buccellati at my place in New York City, where, in the wake of my doubts, we wrote the music of ‘Sanctuary’ in a few hours. The next morning I wrote the lyrics, recorded a small demo, and sent it to Mitski, who loved it and, like me, preferred it to the other song. I asked her if she thought changes in the lyrics were necessary, but she liked it as it was. Two weeks later she came to the studio, where she wrote beautiful harmonies and recorded her part in half a day.”
I, too, send all my demos to Mitski. I have yet to hear back. Check out “Sanctuary” below, and pre-order Every Dawn’s a Mountain here.
