New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Multi-platinum-selling rock band
X Ambassadors have joined forces with K.Flay and grandson for a new song called "Zen" - a candid and cathartic anthem for the age of social distancing. Released via KIDinaKORNER/Interscope Records/Universal Music, "Zen" by
X Ambassadors feat. K.Flay and grandson is available now at all digital retailers.
With its kinetic beats and moody guitar work, "Zen" perfectly captures the endless anxiety and isolation of the current moment. "We wanted to talk about what stresses us out," says Harris. "What we wish we understood better. What we think no one else understands. We talk about finding peace in chaos. And finding chaos in…well, everything."
Written and recorded virtually, Harris sent a rough sketch of "Zen" to grandson, who then wrote a verse for the song. Within 48 hours, K.Flay had added a verse as well, with
X Ambassadors and their collaborators completing the track over FaceTime, Zoom, email, and text message. Produced by X Ambassadors, the result is a vividly detailed track complete with references to meditation apps, past-due rent, and the immediate comfort of a good dog photo. And with its abundance of instantly quotable lyrics ("Tell me we're all in this together/And if we're not, just give me lies"), "Zen" speaks an unadorned truth about everything from sexual frustration to existential dread.
Along with co-writing and appearing on the track, K.Flay directed the dynamic video for "Zen." Equal parts humorous and heartwarming, the collage-like visual offers an up-close introduction to all three artists and reveals why each is in need of a Zen state of mind. After confessing to their strangest quirks and deepest anxieties, the trio erupt into a remote dance party for the song's final moments.
The making of "Zen" followed a particularly tumultuous period for X Ambassadors, who were touring
Europe right as COVID-19 hit the continent. Prior to that, a late-January tour date in China was canceled just before the band left for tour. With their Milan date canceled days before they were set to play,
X Ambassadors were setting up for a show in Poland when the government ordered the immediate shutdown of all events. Fortunately, the band was able to depart Lithuania and head home to Los Angeles the very day that the travel ban was enacted in the U.S.
"Zen" arrives on the heels of X Ambassadors' recent Belong EP, a March release infused with elements of '60s and '70s soul, R&B, and rock-and-roll. Describing the EP as a "meditation on love, loss, and finding your place in the world," Harris notes that the "emotion and simplicity of music from this era has always inspired us on a very deep level."
