Nari is the recording project of Bay Area-born and Lexington-based songwriter Narisa Khamvanthong. After entering the music scene as a fan, Khamvanthong slowly developed the urge to write songs herself, and after moving to Kentucky for college plucked up the courage to share them online. The reception which followed further strengthened this confidence, and after collaborations with the likes of Okey Dokey, Nari has teamed up with Park the Van for her debut album, Greener on the Other Side.
With its forthright examination of personal issues, lead single ‘7UP’ gives a glimpse into the record. The rhythm is peppy and the sound bright, but below this surface lies something more conflicted. As though the fun exterior holds a darker truth. “If you listen closely, this song is full of contradictions,” Khamvanthong explains:
The song follows me through ups and downs of getting a hold of my relationship with alcohol. When I was struggling with my relationship with alcohol, I found myself lying and trying to find loopholes in my attempted sobriety at the time. I was constantly in a battle of needing people around me while pushing them away whenever they checked me for my behaviour and relapse and trying to salvage those relationships through bargaining and making excuses.”
The result functions as both a candid self-examination and a promise to get better. A lesson in the value of honesty in the face of pain. A commitment to confronting the sides of ourselves we’d prefer to leave behind.
You can believe me I wanna get better
You don’t have to leave
It’s been a good week
I can have fun without holding a drink
