Although Dabin’s Into The Wild sophomore tour was placed on standstill along with the rest of the live music industry as a result of the COVID-19 uncertainty, the Toronto native is forcefully advancing his musical efforts in 2020. Doubling down on the “darker” aura that he self-described as the foundation to his impending body of work, Dabin is following up “Holding On” by calling on Essenger for the vocal backing on “Hope It Hurts.”
A nostalgic admiration towards the ’00s punk-rock generation, Dabin harmonizes somber acoustics behind Essenger’s grief-stricken lyrics as they recount on an agonizing depart from a former significant other. In a lighthearted response to caring fans simply checking in on Dabin’s mental state after a first listen to “Hope It Hurts,” he reassured that all was well:
“Also thanks for all the messages asking if I’m okay haha! I’m actually quite happy. I’m working on the new album and taking a lot of inspiration from my teenage years so some things are bound to get a bit angsty. My heart is very full these days.”
Stream “Hope It Hurts” below, and be on the lookout for Dabin’s rescheduled tour dates that will ideally take place later this year.
Photo credit: Nainoa Langer