Singled Out: Albert Kass' Formidable (For Me Dabla)

Keavin Wiggins | 04-04-2023

Single art

LA-based indie folk artist Albert Kass recently released a new single called "Formidable (For Me Dabla)" from his forthcoming album "Young Old Man". To celebrate we asked Albert to tell us about the track. Here is the story:

My former partner and I were sitting around when I stumbled upon a happy-go-lucky chord progression with a matching strumming pattern. For whatever reason, we started chatting about the lost art of flirting with someone, irl. We came up with a cute and somewhat sinister story where the narrator uses subterfuge to seduce a total stranger. The subtext is subtle, but if you pay close attention to the lyrics, it's there.

When I sang it for my partner while writing it, I would speak between the lyrics to spell out my intention. For instance, during the bridge, I strummed through three chords with rapidly alternating individual notes and said, 'This is when they have sex.' It was meant to be an analogy for the sounds of a squeaking bed that a neighbor might hear through a wall, complete with a crescendo.

We went from a concept to a song in a single afternoon; it practically wrote itself. Upon reflection, there are certain elements of the song - like its French title - that harken back to my childhood. Though my mother was disappointed that I never learned to speak the language, I was subjected to years of animated conversations in French between her and my grandmother. It's no surprise that some of it managed to stick.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more about the Albert here