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Today, South African-born, NYC/Dublin-based folk-rock musician Tuelo shares promising, soothing track & official video "Bitter Weeping" out everywhere now. The sweet acoustic guitar-led tune reads like a diary entry made public–with self-encouragement, insecurities and candid thoughts and feelings on full display.
The artist's defiant second studio album Regarding My Heart is due out September 27 and available for pre-order now. With her most refined, self-assured sound to date, Regarding My Heart is a sweeping sonic exploration of love, loss and loneliness that allows Tuelo to cement her place in the folk-rock sphere. Tuelo will celebrate the album release with a show at NYC's Joe's Pub on September 25 with tickets on sale now here.
Explaining the concept of the title, Tuelo says, "Being loved and cherished to someone, may it be family or friends, is for me what makes the world go around. In nature, I think love is this concept that explains the electricity that sparks progress, creativity and creation, be it bad or good. It's a song from the perspective of the one who loves – comforting, shaking, and rescuing a person who is struggling to grasp life. It is also written by a person imagining how loved ones would live and cope with their chosen death."
Though these topics may be heavy, Tuelo says the track aims to shine a light on the positive, healing aspects of these thoughts and the beauty of self-acceptance and honesty. Tuelo continues, "It feels like a dark topic, but it’s not. Many people have pondered self harm; many are in one way or another harming, self-sabotaging, and holding on by the thinnest threat. Very often when I find the peace of mind to write I know that I’ve jumped a hurdle. Simple truth is that 'Bitter Weeping' was a diary entry to myself and made with my typical heavy, solid, and consistent strum."
Under The Radar, who debuted the track and video, says, '“Bitter Weeping” is a resonant folk rock strummer, centering on impassioned melodies and confessional lyricism. Tuelo drives the track forward with insistent acoustic chords and anthemic rock guitar lines, but the standout moments come from her plaintive and powerful vocal performance. She moves effortlessly between spoken-word pleas and ascendant, wailing high notes burnished by gospel harmonies. Meanwhile, her lyrics offer a moving portrait of loving someone unable to love themself: “Come back down/You are better than what you’ve been thinking/Forget all the brain-bending things/To suggest you’re imperfect, you’re so complete.”
The accompanying video is a tribute to New York City–the buzz, chaos and beauty. With the city as its backdrop, Tuelo says despite its busyness, it's easy to still feel lonely, and encourages New Yorkers to find their peace. Tuelo adds, "It’s a New York song; it’s a New York video. I’m just happy to include the city as a backdrop to the video. We live in such an exciting city that has millions of people, but it can often be lonely. This video made me want to remind people to make peace with themselves. The world is a mess already and I need for everyone to hold on tight and more than anything, be at peace. You can only make peace with others when you make peace with yourself."
Watch "Bitter Weeping" (Official Video)
Written in Belgium in 2018, recent single "Green Light" poured out of the artist as she began to reckon with major life changes, relationships evolving or ending, and the pace at which life moves today, aiming to calm her mind in any way she could. Tuelo explains, "It’s like I needed to give myself the impetus to restart friendships, to reexamine relationships, to be at peace with a period of self inquiry and questioning the universe, and of calming the noise. It stems from the fact that I started walking straight into traffic in New York City, oblivious to things around me. I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders without anyone to lean on. More than that, I started worrying that I would be involved in an actual accident if I couldn’t get my mind right."
Tuelo's forthcoming cinematic second full-length studio album, Regarding My Heart, brings together her humble beginnings with who she is today–filled with lush textures, dynamic sounds, layered strings, horns and guitars, soaring vocals and intimate lyricism. With its vivid storytelling and unbridled honesty, the project has provided Tuelo with the space to heal, listen to herself and center her voice. Tuelo says, "This album has been the way that I could explain a life I thought was over. It has been the way I could explain a love I thought could be the only one. I could be silent. After many years of fear as a migrant alone, I had a story to tell, and when it came to my heart I needed to remind myself that I am deserving of some kind of love." Beginning with one central song and building from there, Tuelo crafted a resonant glimpse into her heart from different perspectives.
On her unique songwriting process that generates dozens of songs, Tuelo shares, "With 'Regarding My Heart,' I began to write over 70 songs that are called songs and shadows, which is a particular songwriting process I came up with of one core song followed by additional songs inspired by and answering back to this main song in different ways to include nuance in a journey."
Tuelo says the album is, "by the lonely for the lonely. It's about holding on to every ounce of peace, patience, pace, and the rhythm of the world." Interspersed between the tracks are chant versions and towards the end, piano versions that offer alternate takes on the original versions while paying homage to Tuelo's roots. Across three continents, the project's expansive sound was brought to life with help from multi-GRAMMY® award-winning producer (Album of the Year, Best Rock Album) Robbie Nelson, guitar producer Kirk Schoenherr, longtime collaborator Kevin Wenzel and features backing vocals from Tuelo's sisters.
Released in March, the title track encompasses a life in its entirety–the love, loss and lessons learned. It was the making of this song that ultimately served as the catalyst for the making of the album. Tuelo shares, “'Regarding My Heart' is a life-long journey of a song: a release, a reflection, a pacing of the story of love and loss." The artist's South African roots influence all facets of her artistry, as Tuelo shares, "It allowed for us to build a specific sound that reflects my particular way of song that I always compose from: my wailing vocal style with cinematic sounds and Etherial guitars, all rooted in my chanting culture."
With distinct, sharp vocals and a genre-bending, singular sonic approach, Tuelo has established herself while carving a space in music all her own. Tuelo's debut album, The Life of Margaret Cornelius, arrived in 2022 and was praised by several leading tastemakers like NPR and The Recording Academy. Describing Tuelo's music with an exclusive performance on their segment Positive Vibes Only, the Academy shared, "Infectious drums, powerfully stacked vocals and guitars that rip through the song are all common practice for the uncommon experience that is listening to Tuelo." In support of the release of her 2017 EP Saint Margaret, The Huffington Post called Tuelo, "New York's best singer (and the world's)" and said, "Sometimes a singer just comes out of nowhere and makes you question everything you ever listened to before. When you finally hear it, you know." Consequence praised the EP's intimate title track, stating, "The track ['Saint Margaret'] is a warm and simple bit of revival folk. Tuelo sings her mother’s praises over slow guitars and a gentle synth.." Tuelo's striking vocals caught the attention of AFROPUNK who called the musician's performances, "an inspiring and spiritual experience carried by the singer’s powerhouse vocals."
Tuelo was raised in rural South Africa in a large family and a close-knit community amid the tumultuous political landscape of apartheid. It was this environment that directly informs her artistry today, as family and activism remain at the heart of her work. At age 17, Tuelo moved to New York City where she worked as a vocalist, making appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman, back-up vocals for Paul Simon and GRAMMY® award-winning albums including Angelique Kidjo's Eve and Sings. Now, continually inspired by traditional African music, the art-driven, spiritual and political singer-songwriter offers her own blend of folk-rock that both honors her past and paves the way for her future.
The touching, peaceful "Bitter Weeping" out now is a grounding, self-soothing message of peace and the importance of holding onto love in one's life. Regarding My Heart, the highly anticipated, emotive second studio album by Tuelo is due out September 27 and available for pre-order now. Celebrate the album release with a show at NYC's Joe's Pub on September 25. Tickets are on sale now here.
Also, check out Tuelo's podcast, A Songwriter's Journal. Connect with Tuelo on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok and stay tuned for much more.
Watch "Green Light" (Official Video) | Listen
Watch "Regarding My Heart" (Official Music Video) | Listen
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