Critically Acclaimed Singer Songwriter Bhi Bhiman Channels A Universal Experience In “Up All Night”
The song was inspired by the duality of looking after his young daughter while his wife was away, caring for her dying father.
By: A.A. Cristi Apr. 08, 2022
In advance of his first studio album in four years, I'll Sleep When I'm Famous (JULY 2022), acclaimed singer-songwriter Bhi Bhiman, known for his "gutsy vocal style" (Guardian), drops a heart-rending new single, "Up All Night". The song was inspired by the duality of looking after his young daughter while his wife was away, caring for her dying father-an extremely relevant message as the world transitions out of a global pandemic.
As one of the more stripped down songs Bhiman has ever released, the spare accompaniment and production allows the lyrics and melody to bring you intimately close to the message.
Bhiman says, "I wrote this song during a pretty difficult time. I was alone taking care of our young daughter while my wife was caring for her father. For two months, I was living this parallel existence on the other side of the circle of life. And out of the intensity of that experience, this beautiful, fully formed song came out of me."
In the video for "Up All Night", Bhi is seated at the edge of his daughter's bed, gently picking his guitar as she is fast asleep, giving us a taste of his real life. In a real cinema verité style, Bhi admits that the entire video was shot while his daughter was actually asleep, lit by her LED projector lights. It's an homage to the idea behind the song - that, sometimes we are up all night working while our loved ones sleep. When she's not sleeping, we cut to scenes of her playing and wandering the halls, which Bhi filmed during a rolling blackout.
Over the course of his career, the St. Louis native has collaborated with a diverse list of creatives including comedian/actor Keegan-Michael Key, author Dave Eggers, singer/songwriter Rhiannon Giddens, rapper/director Boots Riley, and late iconic singer Chris Cornell. Bhi has been called, "One of America's best kept secrets" by The Times UK, and "first rate and undeniably unique" by the Washington Post. His music has been praised by the Wall Street Journal, NPR, Billboard and the New York Times.
"Up All Night" is the first of three soul-stirring singles that come from Bhi's most personal album to date. Co-produced by Sam Kassirer (who worked on Bhi's acclaimed debut, BHIMAN), the album sports a world-weary, but wide-eyed positivity.
Watch "Up All Night" HERE.
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