The sweet air of nostalgia that engulfs the new single from Well Kept is wistful yet warm. The Athens group has staked its reputation on conjuring rousing, hook-heavy emo and rock, but here the atmosphere is far more gentle and subdued. Initially, frontman Tommy Trautwein’s hushed vocals seem mired in regret, but the longer you listen, the more it’s clear he’s giving voice to deep-rooted emotions. On “Winter Clothes,” love and its attending vulnerability are intertwined with a sense of wonder and enchantment. Beneath the spare piano and plaintive acoustic guitar is the realization that life can been forever altered in uplifting new ways.
Written by Trautwein and his sister Holyn at their family’s home in Atlanta, the song was first captured as an iPhone voice memo. Although the intent was to cut a more polished version later, subsequent recordings lacked the intimacy of the original. Listening to “Winter Clothes,” it’s clear the track’s homespun charm isn’t just part of the song’s appeal—it’s central to its purpose and underlying message. Finding love is like discovering new family; there is an enduring comfort and peace in its enveloping arms. Or as Trautwein sings towards the song’s conclusion: “A life of before and after / Never want to know anything else.”
“We tried to record a hi-fi version in our studio, but we couldn’t beat the ambience from our living room and magic that the original voice memo captured,” Trautwein notes is an email. “This song is about the unexplainable excitement and feeling that comes with the start of a new relationship with someone. This song feels like winter and home to Holyn and I, and we hope it takes you there as well!”
Listen below.
“Winter Clothes” marks the end of a trilogy of singles Well Kept have released this year. A full length follow-up to the group’s 2020 debut, In the Meantime, is set to arrive in 2021.
More Info
Bandcamp: wellkeptmusic.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @wellkeptmusic
Instagram: @pterodactyl.tom
SoundCloud: @wellkeptmusic