We previously featured Conchis for transforming illness and vulnerability into a hypnotic plea for protection on the ethereal and progressive single, Under Your Feathers, so when we learned that the talented artist was back with It Will Only Hurt Once, we couldn’t wait to listen and share our experience.
It Will Only Hurt Once opens with dimensional metallic textures with syncopated, subversive energy. We are immediately enthralled by the hypnotic energy and Conchis‘ sublime, textured vocals with metaphorical lyricism tapping into a raw sensibility. The production evolves with a whirring bassline, a signature of Conchis‘ arrangement.
We appreciate the cinematic vibes and could imagine the track in a TV show like The Day of the Jackal, Succession or something more psychedelic like Nine Perfect Strangers. The glitch pop vocals that emerge are trance-like, tapping into notions of hyper pop and overall, the energy feels fresh and innovative.
At the heart of the track is the concept of a difficult realisation. Sometimes leaving hurts less than staying. Conchis explores the moment when a relationship has begun to decay and the idea of continuing to hold on becomes painful. The imagery of blades, stitches and healing wounds is designed to give the song a visceral quality which definitely manifests. Yet the message is ultimately one of self-preservation, which feels zeitgeist and cathartic. As Conchis puts it, “Sometimes the best thing you can do is let go.” She adds, “staying can hurt more than leaving – that ending something is the kinder choice, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time.”
The song’s creation story adds another dimension. It Will Only Hurt Once was written during the severe ME/CFS crash that shaped the forthcoming Gravity album. Conchis shares that she was unable to play instruments, work in a studio or even listen to music. Instead, she composed the record entirely in her mind.
We learn that the record was produced and mixed by Jonas Verwijnen and mastered by Henkka Niemistö. The low bassline keeps moving beneath bruising percussion, while brooding synths create an uneasy backdrop. Then Conchis‘ voice rises above it all. Her vocal performance is phenomenal. She can sound fragile and almost submerged one moment, then suddenly expansive and commanding the next. That contrast gives the song its emotional force.
Growing up in the Finnish countryside, Conchis began singing before she could speak, started playing violin at seven and later began writing songs on guitar. Her music now combines experimental pop, electronic textures and intimate songwriting, exploring repetition, exhaustion, emotional entrapment and transformation.
Needless to say, It Will Only Hurt Once is another fascinating chapter in Conchis‘ evolving catalogue. It understands that sometimes healing begins with a decision that feels unbearable in the moment. We love the catharsis that transmutes and have added It Will Only Hurt Once to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to stream Conchis‘ wider discography and await Gravity.