Captain Kirk Douglas of The Roots Releases 'Breathe In' Ahead of Upcoming Album 'New Unknown'

"Captain" Kirk Douglas releases his third solo single of the year "Breathe In." His second full-length solo album, New Unknown, is out Nov. 4.

"Breathe In" is a stripped-down, psychedelic track full of introspection. It begins with a military-style drum roll and lithely picked melodic guitar and orchestral strings, in-part performed by Peter Readman. The idea came to Kirk during the height of of the pandemic, as an ode to self-meditation as he sings on the chorus, "Breathe in Breathe out, It all comes to an end, Within without, It all begins again."

"It speaks on how to manage one's emotions through difficult moments," Kirk says about the song, "A lot of people experienced trauma over the past few years. There were divisions in families, friendships, and relationships. However, it brought up the need to do internal healing. All of the other drugs and medicines weren't working. We've got to return to the body's self-healing abilities through breath. Music is a great healer.

"Breathe In" follows on the heels of two critically acclaimed singles. He kicked off this year's solo endeavors with, "We Can Be One," which features a wah-pedal drenched funk riff, simmering beat, and boisterous horn section alongside a trippy music video directed by Alexander Fischetti. American Songwriter called the single "soul-shaking," while WXPN raved "we can be assured [the album is] something to look forward to." Meanwhile, rock-forward single, "Over The Ocean," was called a "terrific display of Douglas's riff-writing talent" by Guitar World.

Stay tuned for more from "Captain" Kirk Douglas.

Audiences worldwide recognize "Captain" Kirk Douglas's scorching singular style as a six-string powerhouse. Joining The Roots back in 2003, he has supplied guitar and background vocals for a series of critically acclaimed Top 10 albums on the Billboard Top 200, including The Tipping Point [2004], Game Theory [2006], Rising Down [2008], How I Got Over [2010], and Wake Up! [2010] with John Legend.

The latter garnered a pair of GRAMMY® Awards, namely "Best R&B Album" and "Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance" for "Hang On In There." In addition, his guitar powered The Roots's tastemaker-approved ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin in 2014. Between countless sold-out live shows, he holds down guitar duties for the band nightly on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

He also notably forces with Gibson Guitars to release his own signature SG model. Inciting widespread applause, Guitar Player has celebrated Kirk's "blazing fretboard work," and American Songwriter noted, "His wild, bending solos careen off the staccato, precise drum fills from the group's leader and drummer, Questlove."

Recorded at Electric Ladyland Studios, he dropped his debut Turbulent Times under the moniker Hundred Watt Heart. Of the latter, Rolling Stone applauded his "melodies that range from contemplative, blues-tipped and soulful to raw and raucous."

Listen to the new single here:

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