Rita Mae kicks off their latest single by crooning, “If you don’t call me when you land / That’s how I’ll know that it’s over,” a devastating blow to a lover who likely never deserved her. Following a run of singles that all appear on her Kiss the Sky EP, “When You Go” is a tumultuous finale that builds from a haunting instrumental under the verses to a bridge that crashes down over the listener.
“Swear until I’m black and blue / That I won’t waste another breath on you / But I’m still singing ’bout it, so embarrassing it hurts / Wash my mouth clean of your kiss / But I still got your name stuck on my lips / I can’t stop talking ’bout it, so embarrassing it hurts”
The Auckland-based singer-songwriter taps into different indie/alternative sounds on the EP as a whole, but this last track feels especially potent. It feels familiar without feeling like a copy of whatever my mind is connecting it to sonically (I have wracked my brain for hours now and have given up), bringing Mae’s authenticity to the surface.
Written by Rita Mae, Josh Bruce Williams, and Noémie Legrand, “When You Go” is an ode to the self-awareness that tends to follow a heartbreak. Sometimes we live in denial when things are nearing their inevitable end, but it’s important to let go of the people and things who aren’t serving us well, especially when they don’t come to our shows.
Stream “When You Go” and the full Kiss the Sky EP below:
daybreak 