Title: “Empty Walls”
Artist: Oh Captain|My Captain
From: TBA (2016)
Release Date: December 29, 2015
Length: 5:04
Format: CD Single, Digital Download, Weekly Airplay
Recorded: November/December 2015 - Studio 101, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Genre: Electro-Pop, Pop, Alternative Rock
Label: Songs to Love and Die By
Written: October
Writer(s): K. Skye, K. Irvine, M. Fay
Producer(s): C. Zayn, K.Skye, K. Irvine, M. Fay

“Empty Walls” is the second official single released from British indie-rock trio “Oh Captain | My Captain”, the young group that hails from Brighton, England signed to ‘Songs to Love and Die By’ in the summer of 2015 following the independent release of their track “Kids” which gained a small amount of buzz online although failed to chart. With the release of “Empty Walls” we see the band make their first release under a recognized label which is likely to culminate in more promotion in the coming weeks as the band have spent the previous few months recording songs for their debut album, the album is expected to be released around February or March 2016, but the band still have a rather small fanbase in comparison to many of the other newer acts that are set to make waves in the new year. It’s thought that opinion is high on this young trio from England within the label’s ranks and it’s expected that both Cara Zayn and Christian Fallon are set to put some focus on helping launch the band in the new year.

With their second song, early reviews have noted the biographical nature of the song’s lyrics and when discussing the song, lead singer Kayleigh Skye stated that the song is a love letter home as herself and her two bandmates recently moved out to New York in order to work on their debut album, she stated, “Everything happened super quickly last year for us, our single got a little bit of attention and suddenly we’re getting people wanting to talk deals and all that corporate shit. Eventually we signed to the label but it was like a month of nothing, we were like, right we wanna make our album, it’s why we signed, put us in a studio or just do something for fuck sake. Their response was, okay but we want you over in New York and record your album there. We saw it as a free trip to New York basically, they were paying for our apartment and studio time and pretty much everything else. I mean it wasn’t the Ritz, the apartment is basic at best. But we figured we’d get to make our music, sweet deal.
We never thought about being homesick and missing everything that was familiar to us, maybe a bit naively. We had barely spent more than a week away from home before, but this was basically like starting a new life. The lads took well to it, at least better than I did. I can’t lie, I was a miserable bitch for a good two to three weeks there. That’s basically where this song came from, and a few others that we’ve recorded from the album. It’s about the contrast of things, on the one hand, this crazy fucking incredible thing is happening and we know we should be happy about it and enjoying it while it lasts, but also its different and it’s scary and it’s real fucking lonely too. And I suppose this is one of those cliché two am songs, late at night with a glass of wine and a smoke and feeling all sentimental.”

The song was written in October 2015 and later recorded between November and December 2015 at Studio 101 in Brooklyn, New York. The track which features heavy electronica elements as well as a sharp and aggressive alternative rock sound, provided by electric guitars and drums and a sharp snarl in the vocals from Kayleigh was produced by the band alongside Cara Zayn. The track is set to become the band’s first worldwide release and will be available from December 29, 2015 as a CD Single, Digital Download.

LYRICS;

“I’ve never been this far from home
From everything I’ve ever known
And yet I’ve never felt this alive
But deep inside I wanna die
Cos’ there’s something missing from my side

I look around my temporary abode
It’s just blank and empty
Silence interrupted with a creaking floorboard
And these walls are so bare
I can’t face the thought of putting familiar faces up there
Because I’ll just be reminded of the only place
That could always put a smile on this face

Man, do you think of me?
Do you ever think of me at all?
All I have are empty walls
Made to match this empty soul
Do you ever think of me at all?
All I have are empty walls
Made to match this empty soul

New York is pretty
It’s true that it never sleeps
I find myself awake, staring down at the streets
Thousands of random faces
Trying to make it through
I’m finding myself faced with a harsh truth
None of them are you

Man, do you think of me?
Do you ever think of me at all?
All I have are empty walls
Made to match this empty soul
Do you ever think of me at all?
All I have are empty walls
Made to match this empty soul

I suppose I’m a little homesick
This is all brand new to me
I just want my mum to tell me the kettle’s on
Cheer up love, here’s a cup of tea
But Brighton is a million miles away from me

New York is pretty
It’s true that it never sleeps
I find myself awake, staring down at the streets
Thousands of random faces
Trying to make it through
I’m finding myself faced with a harsh truth
None of them are you

Man, do you think of me?
Do you ever think of me at all?
All I have are empty walls
Made to match this empty soul
Do you ever think of me at all?
All I have are empty walls
Made to match this empty soul”

PERSONNEL;

Kayleigh Skye – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, lyrics, production
Kyle Irvine – lead guitar, backing vocals, lyrics, production
Matthew Fay – bass guitar, drums, lyrics, production
Cara Zayn – production, engineering, mixing