Nick Hakim has shared two new singles, ‘Real Here Now’ and ‘Water’, via his own Earseed Records imprint, out now.
The release marks his first original music since the 2025 demo collection Where Will We Go, and follows several years spent contributing to other artists’ work: piano and vocals on Adrianne Lenker’s Bright Future, extensive contributions to Lil Yachty’s Let’s Start Here, and work with Eddie Chacon on ‘Lay Low’, among others.
Both tracks were born from intimate bedroom demos recorded in New York and co-produced by Hakim alongside Andrew Sarlo, whose credits include Dijon and Bon Iver. Mastering was handled by Heba Kadry, known for her work with Bjork, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Gorillaz.
‘Real Here Now’ moves through grief and memory with glassy piano and a vocal that shifts from barely audible to fiercely present, exploring the spectre of loss through departed family members and the house Hakim grew up in. ‘Water’ strips things back further: a bruised piano ballad that builds into a cosmic coda, addressing a profound romantic loss with the kind of emotional directness that Hakim rarely allows himself at this level of exposure.
The two songs point strongly towards a new album, though nothing has been officially confirmed. Whatever comes next, these are among the most affecting things he has released.
