serpentwithfeet Unveils New Single, “Heart Storm (with NAO)”

This Friday, Los Angeles-based artist serpentwithfeet will release his new album, DEACON, on Secretly Canadian. Today, he unveils new single, “Heart Storm,” a duet with English singer, songwriter, and producer NAO. The single follows “Same Size Shoe” and “Fellowship.” All of the material from DEACON serpent has previewed thus far has been met with incredible praise. Recently, he was profiled in The New York Times and has been a featured artist in Youtube’s inaugural Black Voices campaign which spotlights Black creatives from around the world. 

“Heart Storm” continues to showcase the power, dexterity and spectacular beauty of serpent’s voice as he sings with NAO through intricate, acrobatic arrangements with clarity and confidence. Throughout, serpent showcases his ability to arrange complex vocal lines in the spirit of noted influence and gospel giant, Richard Smallwood. “I love a little magical realism. In this song I’m saying that there is so much love and power every time me and my man unite, even the heavens rejoice. Here, we welcome the storm.” 

For serpentwithfeet, DEACON is a study rather than a story delving into Black, gay love and the tenderness present in the best companionships, romantic or otherwise. The follow-up to his debut album, soil, one of 2018’s most praised albums of the year, DEACON highlights serpent’s growth as a songwriter, embracing straightforward approaches to expression. The album’s title takes its name from the Christian office, a figure who helps maintain order within the church and himself, and proudly follows in the tradition of R&B artists whose gifts were helmed in the Black church.