The innovative Kat Koan introduces her powerful new single and music video Pain. Written for her daughter, it is about the postnatal depression she experienced, but it is also a topic for our times. We are all going through pain, particularly in light of the pandemic and all the suffering that comes with it.
The Berlin-based artist hits home with her poetry which is thickly coated in a desolate dust. She is no stranger to the melancholy but this track takes a different direction from her previous more electronic releases. The song shifts and expands, introducing new elements and moods. The visuals are raw yet elegant and the narratives within them bring to life the knife-edge between beauty and relief that comes with pain.
The music video for Pain was shot by Patrick Tichy and edited by Koan. It features aerial artist Lady Lee.
“I wrote the song because I had a massive urge to paint a picture of the headspace I was in when going through postnatal depression. It’s a heavy topic and even though the song was finished a while ago I found it tricky to let something that personal fly out of its nest.
I am hoping to encourage women who go through this to not hide away and to open up and talk about how it feels. It’s a tough experience that brings shame and guilt with it, but in hindsight, I wish I had just talked about it more openly. It’s weird for me to be vulnerable… I feel more comfortable being tough and kick ass. So making this song was intense on many levels.” – Kat Koan
Koan has collaborated with mental health organisation Afloat that offers support to international pregnant and new mothers across Germany. They are planning to organise a fundraiser event as soon as it’s possible.
Kat Koan has released rather an unforgettable work of art. And during these times, it’s more poignant, relevant and required than ever.
Read Kat Koan’s article for our music wellness series about how she has coped during the pandemic.