Saccharine is the recording project of Boston’s Kevin King. Formerly of the band Maura, King started out solo with We Both Became The Sky, an album released by Disposable America back in 2016 that swapped out the emo overtones of Maura’s sound in favour of a more restrained bedroom pop style. Still, We Both Became the Sky saw Saccharine maintain the emotional immediacy that marked the Maura sound, the quieter, folk-orientated songs only heightening the earnest connection.
Now King has teamed up with Disposable America once more to release the second Saccharine album, Hollow Space. Looking set to continue the immersive sincerity of previous releases, the record serves as an exploration of hope within dark times, finding meaning and grace in situations where such features might first appear absent. “Hollow Space explores the idea of change, both physical and mental,” King explains. “It confronts the idea that in nothing there will always be something.”
While the record isn’t out until the end of September, we’re delighted to share the lead single, ‘Pumpkin Guts’, as something of a taster. The song is perhaps a little louder than those on the previous Saccharine release, the intimacy of King’s vocals complemented by more expansive instrumentation. Or rather, the instrumentation grows more expansive across the length of the track, opening with nothing more than a simple guitar strum before unfurling slowly into something full-bodied and atmospheric, the reverb eventually coming to swallow King’s final words.
Photo by Peter Madden, Jr.