Fiona Apple has made a guest appearance on “komfortzone,” a new single from Nashville-based experimental/art-pop trio Flesh Eater.
With a sound that prioritizes ingenuity as much as melody, it’s no wonder Flesh Eater turn to Apple as a major source of information. Apple isn’t normally one to collaborate with artists outside of her usual circle, but thanks to a fortuitous mutual connection with film producer Zelda Hallman, she heard an early version of “komfortzone” and hopped in the studio to record her parts: backing vocals, piano, vibraphone, and cabasa.
“To me, ‘komfortzone’ represents confronting fear,” Flesh Eater vocalist/keyboardist Zwil AR said in a statement. “The fear of being seen, of moving toward sharing what’s inside, meeting that where it is, seeing it, and saying, ok, this will be with me indefinitely; I’ve got to move past it.”
AR continues: “Fear is natural, even healthy at times, but it’s not me. It feeds off of what makes it grow, and in my experience, a lot of times I’m most fearful of doing what will help me grow. Feeding that fear, doing what makes me afraid, is not so scary anymore.”
“komfortzone” is anything but comfortable, opening with a somewhat jarring scene: “Instant regret in the park in the morning,” AR sings. They contemplate their anxieties in visions of sunflower fields and train rides, even working in a few German lines to make the track all the more transportive.
Apple’s contributions aren’t too obvious, but you can still feel her in the song’s irregular structure, crisp production, and complex melody. Listen to her and Flesh Eater on “komfortzone” below.
Though they haven’t unveiled any details, Flesh Eater’s debut LP is in the works. Since her fantastic 2020 album Fetch the Bolt Cutters, Apple has released “Where the Shadows Lie” for the soundtrack to Amazon Originals’ The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and she also covered Idaho’s official state song “Here We Have Idaho” for NPR’s This American Life.
