How Can I Love? (When I Can’t Get Away From You)
fika

“How Can I Love? (When I Can’t Get Away From You)” is the first single from South-London contemporary R&B duo fika on Tru Thoughts, collaborating with songwriter, vocalist and artist Bambie. The track is taken from the upcoming “Coffee & Clouds” EP.

Stemming from a two-day session in June 2020 between fika, Bambie and Berlin-based producer Fabich, the EP explores, in Bambie’s words, “the peaks and troughs of toxic feelings”. The release follows previous single and EP releases from fika which have seen the duo garner support from the likes of Jamz Supernova (BBC Radio 1Xtra), Jess Iszatt (BBC London Introducing) and from Spotify’s New Music Friday UK, Chill Vibes and R&B UK playlists.

Written about being caught in the intoxicating throngs of an abusive relationship, the dazed hypnotic tones of Bambie repeating the track’s title “How Can I Love? (When I Can’t Get Away From You)” reverberate around the listener, pulling you deep into their experience. The repetition, intensified with the addition of a slide guitar from fika, gives way to the swirling feeling of being trapped and longing for a way out. “As soon as we wrote the hook, we wanted to make it a recurring theme that continues coming back”, fika add, speaking of how the melodic intensity of the track matches the emotional power of the lyrics.

“How Can I Love? (When I Can’t Get Away From You)” is the opening track on the “Coffee & Clouds” EP (due for release on 4th November) from fika and Bambie, co-produced by Fabich. “He’s a bit like the Godfather of fika”, the duo explain, speaking of their relationship with the Berlin-based producer.