Yellow Days TEAMS UP WITH RIC WILSON FOR THE NEW TRACK ‘ILLUSIONS PT. II
TEAMS UP WITH RIC WILSON FOR THE NEW TRACK ‘ILLUSIONS PT. II’
LISTEN HERE / WATCH THE VIDEO
photos by Lewis Vorn / single art design by Shem Ahl
In an industry saturated with strategically aligned collabs, it feels rare to hear two artists join forces for the pure love of making music together. But that’s precisely what the existential genre-voyager YELLOW DAYS has achieved with his old friend, worldwide funk artist Ric Wilson, with their new track ‘ILLUSIONS Pt. II’.
‘ILLUSIONS Pt. II’ brings out the best in both artists. YELLOW DAYS’ production casts a rarefield spell of classic ‘70s funk motifs – sleek grooves, popping bass, swirling keys – and idiosyncratic alt-pop with a dash of psychedelic excess, while Ric Wilson’s ultra-melodic flow bursts with distinct charisma and sharp-razored wit. The female vocal in the track’s hook adds the finishing touch, as it brings addictive soul flavour into the mix.
YELLOW DAYS says, “‘ILLUSIONS Pt. II’ is a song that signals as a sign of the times – it was written at the end of the pandemic, since then nothing has felt the same. It’s about the nature of modern life: fake news, fake friends, artificial intelligence, fake activism, social media. All the things that feel real but aren’t.
It feels to me like an especially paranoid time in humanity . There’s no easy opinions formed in such a liquid world. ‘ILLUSIONS Pt.II’ wants to distinguish the wood from the trees but admits it’s impossible to do so with the naked human eye. Existential stress is the theme of the song, like desperately trying to party in a burning house.”
While ‘ILLUSIONS Pt. II’ showcases the duo’s shared chemistry, the accompanying video takes it further with both artists clearly relishing the opportunity to work on something together.
YELLOW DAYS and Ric Wilson previously collaborated together on the 2021 EP ‘Disco Ric In London Town’ before their friendship continued into the following year with a North American tour together. It also extended to Ric’s debut London show in 2024 which saw him accompanied by YELLOW DAYS as well as his full live band, and the pair were soon back on the road again together when Ric performed as special guest on his friend’s UK and European tour.
YELLOW DAYS – George van Den Broek – reflects on their friendship: “Ric arrived in London and knocked on my door a stranger / pen pal and ended up sleeping on my sofa for nearly a year. We became best friends and our lives became completely intertwined. He said he needed to leave America as he couldn’t stand the political climate. He figured Europe would take his life in a different direction and teach him new perspectives. I remember thinking he was brave for doing that, arriving in a city a stranger, knowing only me and one other musician pen pal. Before long he was introducing me to London’s music scene and parties like he’d been living there years, the bastard.
Ric and I have a real special kinship, a brotherliness that I hope comes across in the music, you know, I love the guy. We laugh a lot and see the world in the same way, ‘ILLUSIONS Pt.II’ was a song we both needed to write. I could sort of feel our heads being squeezed by the noise of the postmodern head clamp and after many late night discussions we produced this song. I think it’s one of Ric’s finest works, he is in my eyes a superstar and a visionary with a message just waiting to be properly heard. I think this song shows how unique he is : in flow, perspective, everything. He loves the UK and Europe, and I think they should love him: as a friend, collaborator and just a Ric Wilson fan I adore him and believe he’s an incredibly charming and talented man.”
Ric Wilson adds, “‘Illusions Pt. II’ is a song about essentially where I was in life. A song written post-lockdown in a world where a pandemic was still occurring but we were all kind acting as if it wasn’t ? I had just moved to a new foreign post-lockdown London that seemed new to everyone from a USA that was full of ignorance, uprising, fake lockdown, fake activism, and divided patriotism.
In the midst of this me and George would create a bond unlike I’ve ever had with anyone. We integrated into a new post-lockdown London, where we drank together, partied together (when I could drag him out) and became best friends and brothers. He challenged me to be a better writer, singer and collaborator. I would say think of ‘Illusions’ as me and George’s way of looking from the outside in at the time. We both needed this song and I can honestly say I’ve never had so much fun making music. These REX studio sessions where so special man, it changed the way I looked at making music and expressing my stress, opinions and bullshit to myself/the world.
The pubs had just opened up for the first time since lock down, and I remember walking around the Angel area with headphones on, writing the verses to the first idea of the instrumental he made from scratch. It was the second Thursday that pubs opened back up and as I wrote I saw pigeons, had a whiskey canned drink and prepared for the first proper party weekend in London. Many can say that even though it didn’t seem morally okay, I think we were all ready to dance in a burning house.”
‘ILLUSIONS PT. II’ comes soon after YELLOW DAYS started a series of new track drops with the sun-kissed ode to love ‘Celebrate You Girl’. That was his first new music since the ambitious narrative of his ‘HOTEL HEAVEN’ album and the subsequent ‘The Holiday That Never Ends’ extended edition. It was hailed by NME as “A surreal, otherworldly concept album,” while Clash compared its themes to ‘The Shining’, ‘The White Lotus’ and ‘Twin Peaks’. A consistent draw in the live arena, YELLOW DAYS then sold-out a London show at KOKO and embarked upon two North American tours.
Chicago’s Ric Wilson makes party-ready hip-hop with an intelligent twist, his funk/disco-infused rap powered by robust percussion, buoyant vocal arrangements and triumphant instrumentation. His music is playful and poignant, with youthful innocence that’s still ever-aware of the difficulties life may throw at you. But instead of lamenting and brooding, he chooses to bask in the beauty of it, dancing through the struggles while remaining acutely aware of his emotions. His talents have made him an in-demand collaborator, notably with the ‘CLUSTERFUNK’ project with A-Trak and Chromeo as well as further features with the likes of The Blessed Madonna, Cupidon and Yung Bae.
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