China Bowls returns with her new single 'Night Owl'.

A shimmering ode to insomnia, the song explores the ‘thought fires’ that keep us awake at night.

Dreamlike to its core, the song ebbs and flows on a ‘stream of consciousness' style. A subtle key change pulls the lyrics from the explicit restlessness of verse one into an abstract world for the pre-chorus, where the narrator ruminates on less worry-filled times. Suddenly we are swept into the darkness of the chorus, a close and Intimate vocal pleading for sleep to come.

Produced by Upcycled Sounds (Feeo, Pecq) after a spell of lockdown writing. This is the first single from the upcoming EP ‘First Light’ and represents an evolution in China Bowls’ sound.

In her own words “it was a very different way of working, to build the tune up from just me and my guitar. I have always loved vocals stacks but this time we really embraced that, using the harmonies to create this lullaby base that everything else sits on top of”

“I have a lot of close friends who suffer from bad insomnia, which I have only started to experience in the last couple of years, so this song was really written for them as a kind of ‘I get what you mean now’"
lyrics
LYRICS

As the night it breathes you in
Turn over what was said again, and again
The cold side it won’t suffice
To put out these thousand thought fires raging through your mind

And the world’s in the way tonight
Weighing heavier than ever in the light
How do you get through these hours
Seems an endless climb

When it's like this I go back to a different time
You were younger, thinking you knew more than ever you have
Than ever you will
Than ever you will
Than ever you will

I’m not a night owl 3am doesn’t suit me well
Turn out the lights I'm waiting here and it feels like hell
I’m not a night owl 3am doesn’t suit me well
Please
Take me to some sleep

Then the night it spits you out
Stumble trembling through your house
you open your mouth to talk
Stack the words any order meaning stays obscured

And at this point I am…
Hoping this is just a phase
Hoping it will end and I'll awake to brighter days
Hoping there’s truth in all the kind things people say when they want to avoid getting deep into it

When it’s like this take me back to another life
She was so graceful, un-imposing with her wisdom
and full of a joy that you won’t break
Whatever you are made of
A joy it’s been harder lately to obtain


I’m not a night owl 3am doesn’t suit me well
Turn out the lights I'm waiting here and it feels like hell
I’m not a night owl 3am doesn’t suit me well
I’m not a night owl 3am doesn’t suit me well
Turn out the light I'm waiting here and it feels like hell
Please
Take me to some sleep
Sleep
Sleep
Sleep
credits
from First Light, track released October 27, 2022
Written by - China Bowls, Hannah Jacobs, Nicholas O’Brien

Vocals and Guitar - China Bowls
Keys - Hannah Jacobs
Bass - Harry Stoneham
Drums - James Vine
Guitar - Eli Jitsuto

Produced by - Upcycled Sounds