Seasoned music industry veteran Peter Katz returns after a long hiatus with “I Will Never Leave You,” the newest single off his highly anticipated upcoming album, titled “City of Our Lives.”
This single veers far from his folk past. The indie pop song opens with a sea of vocal harmonies, then launches into its first verse, comprising of vocals that are sung in the style of spoken-word, in such a way that gives an inkling of beat poetry. Underneath the lead vocal track lies a harmony that sits in a lower register with production similar to the layers of Bon Iver’s experimental catalog. Together, these create a dark yet honest atmosphere.
Seeing the title, I thought it would be a song about a romantic partner, or perhaps even a friend, but I could not be more wrong. The song is about not giving up on yourself and overcoming personal hardship. He says it outright in the second verse when he says, “so I sing this one for me.” It’s important to highlight how the spoken-word approach makes it more personal and powerful - it’s a declaration of commitment to one’s self without any romanticism, idealism, or even skepticism.
Toronto’s Peter Katz had been touring for nearly a decade, earning him accolades in a variety of media. He earned the title of Best Male Vocalist in NOW Magazine’s reader’s poll, his single ‘Brother’ reached #3 on the national public radio charts as well as #3 on CBC’s Best of the Year list in 2015, and he earned two Canadian Folk Music Award nominations. His music has been used in television and movies, including CBC Television’s coverage of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Though his new music is different from what his 23,000 monthly Spotify listeners may be used to, he believes his new sound is attributed to letting go as opposed to holding on.
Written by Jess Ward
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