Kiiōtō - Warpaint b/w Little Axe

Bundled together with the stunning 'Little Axe', 'Warpaint' is the third and final single before the release of Kiiōtō's forthcoming album 'Black Salt', out on April 17th.

A woman in a man’s world
Pullin’ a punch in every breath
Paint a rosy smile upon my face
While I fight at every step.

Warpaint tells of a woman’s struggle to stay strong amidst the challenges of being female in a world that remains, for the most part, male dominated: allowing vulnerabilty to shine through only when safe. With its vintage soul leanings (featuring Amy Winehouse guitarist Hawi Gondwe) there are echos of Aretha Franklin’s Natural Woman, written by the legendary Carole King. Warpaint is imbued with a similar timelessness, Rhodes’ vocal soaring over Heath’s soulful piano.

Third single from the upcoming album BLACK SALT, Warpaint is backed with B-side Little Axe, a song that tells of the pressures of raising young men in an urban lansdcape. Opening on a spaciously reverbed Wurli, before kicking into a soundscape that evokes Khruangbin and Curtis Mayfield in equal measure, the lyric evolves toward an impassioned guitar and string-driven climax.

Kiiōtō are Mercury Music Prize nominated singer/songwriter Lou Rhodes, formerly of Lamb, and multi-award winning pianist/songwriter, Rohan Heath. Their debut album, As Dust We Rise, was released in July 2024 to positive reviews in Mojo and Uncut, and support at BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 4 and Gilles Peterson's Worldwide FM.

"...spine-tingling..." - Dom Servini, Jazz FM
"...pure class..." - Chris Hawkins, BBC 6 Music