Hear Andrew Bird, Fiona Apple’s Self-Aware Love Song ‘Left Handed Kisses’
Andrew Bird has unveiled his new track “Left Hand Kisses,” a duet featuring Fiona Apple off the violinist-singer’s upcoming LP Are You Serious. The soaring, self-aware number captures Bird’s attempt to write a love song, with Apple frequently chiming in to challenge Bird’s efforts. “The point your song misses is that if you really loved me / You’d risk more than a few 50 cent words in your backhanded love song,” Apple sings.
“My inclination was to write a song about why I can’t write a simple love song,” Bird wrote of “Left Handed Kisses” in a statement. “The song began as an internal dialogue. At first it was just my voice. Then another voice came creeping in and I thought ‘this should be a duet if I can find the right person.’ I needed to find someone really indicting. She was totally committed. The session was a long whiskey-fueled night – unhinged, for sure. All worth it, of course. I can’t write simple love songs. People are complex.”
In addition to Are You Serious, due out April 1st, Bird will kick off the North American leg of the tour in support of his new album March 30th at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.