By Clare Martin
Dublin public transport leaves something to be desired. Our lack of a 24 hour bus system has arguably been detrimental to the capital’s nightlife… back when there was a nightlife, that is.
Infrastructure gripes aside, Dublin Bus’ lacking schedule does provide us with some unique experiences, like that desperate sprint for the last bus home, the alcohol-drenched wildness of the Nitelink, or the bizarre feeling of wandering around city centre until the buses start running again.
Dublin native KK Lewis concentrates on that last feeling for her latest track “First Bus Home,” out today via Anon Records. The alt-pop artist released the single “Good Enough” earlier this year, focusing on the pressures put on women to look a certain way.
This time, she turns her attention to love, in all of its pain and strangeness.
“The song captures a memory in Dublin City in the early hours of the morning waiting for the buses to start running again after a night out,” Lewis explains. “It depicts my later teenage years and explores how isolating love can feel and how quickly these emotions can overtake you and leave you feeling completely lost. Listening to this song now, is like reading an excerpt from my diary, I can visualise the memory in my head so clearly and even though it was such a confusing and lonely time in my life, I can look back now with some clarity.”
The track is a beautiful blend of bedroom pop and R&B sensibilities. “So I let the birds set the tone / While we wait for the first bus home,” Lewis recalls in her honeyed, placid voice as birdsong fills the background. The dreaminess of her new single feels as lulling as the gentle hum and rocking of the bus.
Listen to “First Bus Home” below.
Nameless Faceless 