Reminiscent of the bleeding-heart narratives of Elliot Smith with the jaunty melodies of Belle and Sebastian, Fake Laugh’s new single ‘Apology’ is one of the most beautiful songs we’ve heard in a while. With the raw vocals and spacious piano chords, it’s one those recordings that floats timelessly in the air; you know that each time you return for a listen, you’ll be back in the room watching Kamran Khan stooped over the piano playing this searching song of patience. Here the London-via-Berlin artist shares his thoughts on the track: “There's a contrast in the song for me, as I think it's quite direct and melodically strong, but the lyrics essentially describe feelings of weakness. Swings and roundabouts. I felt like when I was writing this song I was conscious of taking on the classic character of the sad self-indulgent songwriter, sitting at a bar staring into the void. The song is about someone who dreams of having a magical connection with someone, but is ultimately too lost in the haze of their own existence. There’s a small chance that this song is about me.” ‘Apology’ is also the first track in a weekly series that will lead us to the release of Fake Laugh’s next album, Waltz, out on October 2nd. - Hannah Thacker   [Photo credit: Hugh Schulte]