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.

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Drawing us in with a meditative frequency featuring cosmic synths and ethereal vocals with the hypnotic mantra, “Let your angels watch over us…”, Conchis opens Under Your Feathers with intrigue and dimensionality. The opus expands with a cerebral guitar soundscape, siren-like synths and celestial notions as we experience poetic prowess and intentional depth from the Finnish artist.

We appreciate the dynamism of the composition, evoking notions of 90s trip-hop with futuristic notions. Conchis‘s vocals are sublime and captivating, the sonic switch-up for the middle eight is cinematic and otherworldly. We could imagine Under Your Feathers being featured in a psychedelic TV show like Nine Perfect Strangers, or PLUR1BUS on Apple TV, but it would also work well in a Sofia Coppola or Luca Guadagnino film.

In essence, Under Your Feathers is about asking for protection when the world has become too heavy to carry alone. This feels super poignant and zeitgeist, delivered by Conchis at a time when we, as a society, need it the most. It was written during a period of severe illness and physical collapse and transforms an intensely private experience into something universally healing and cathartic.

Speaking on the release, Conchis tells us, “I wrote it as a kind of plea. For me and a friend who was going through something similar. We had both been unwell for a long time, unable to work or participate in life in the way we used to. We became each other’s support system. This song is asking for something larger than us to take us in, to protect us, to let us heal.”

Fans of Massive Attack, Portishead, Zero 7, and Cocteau Twins will absolutely be able to vibe with what Conchis is creating, but the artist’s progressive electronica is also primed for a modern, 2026 audience. The title itself adds another layer of symbolism. The concept of being under someone’s feathers suggests shelter and concealment, but also a willingness to surrender control. This avian hyperbole is further brought to life by the accompanying images for the track which show the artist with metallic and futuristic “wings”.

Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added Under Your Feathers to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Conchis, including Streetlights, Cray Cray, and Chapters.

The post Conchis transforms illness and vulnerability into a hypnotic plea for protection on ethereal and progressive new single, Under Your Feathers appeared first on KIMU.