Singled Out: Binoy's Unlearning

Keavin Wiggins | 05-12-2023

Cover art

Singer / songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Binoy just released his new EP "Boyhood". To celebrate we asked him to tell us about one of the tracks and he selected "Unlearning". Here is the story:

I had the idea for "Unlearning" years ago while reading a children's book called "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse". The word was used and immediately leapt out at me, but I knew that the timing wasn't right to even attempt to write the song. Sometimes that's just how it works, with a seed needing time in the soil to unfurl its roots before exploding into life.

Fast forward a few years and I had begun working on my new EP Boyhood, a five song project exploring my adolescent experience. While the first four songs are deeply rooted in the past, I wanted the closing track to reflect where I am in the present and my attitude towards the future, and just like that "Unlearning" had found its home. I took the idea to my production partner Arthur Besna and told him all I had was the title as well as a handful of references ranging from Lorde to Nelly Furtado. We began by laying down a chord progression together on the piano, then recorded some bass and a few percussive elements like the tabla. I love toplining and the thought of taking this demo home to sink my teeth into was incredibly exciting, especially considering how long I had waited to make this song. The writing experience itself felt like creative intuition in full flow, with the lyrics and melodies coming far easier than I had anticipated. I think it maybe took me three days to write everything, which for me is pretty quick!

One of my favorite parts of the recording process was arranging the vocal stack you hear at the beginning of the chorus. It pretty much all happened while I was at the mic, telling Arthur to punch me in and coming up with harmonies on the spot. I also really love how we trade solos after the second chorus, with Arthur on the guitar and myself playing tenor saxophone. The song itself is such a beautiful showcase of our abilities as musicians, and everything you hear is written, played, and recorded by the two of us. I'm so happy that I trusted my intuition when it came to waiting until I felt ready to make this song, and I am so proud of how it ultimately turned out.

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