Singer-songwriter, drummer and producer Malick Koly is back with a new single, “(is it even) Hot In LA”. Following the success of his recent releases “Dolòr”, “Heaven For Now”, and “Eaux Rouges”, all plucked from his upcoming EP, this new single is a stand alone track that tells its own story with a fresh and one-of-a-kind sound.

On the track, Koly explains to Wonderland: “’(is it even) Hot In LA’ is my version of a state of delirium. When everything is not going so hot, sometimes you laugh, and ‘(is it even) Hot In LA’ is that kind of anxious laugh. It is an inside joke, a way to jokingly gauge the state of my love life when I wrote it. I knew it wasn’t hot at all… and growing up, LA was and still kinda is viewed like a paradise of sorts, and then as an adult I discovered that it’s not as hot as they say, both literally and figuratively.”

The track loosely relates to the state of his love life at the time that it was written, a lyrical translation of his feelings in the moment. “Lyrically, that one sorta wrote itself,” he tells us. “Given that the phrase ‘is it even hot in LA’ was a rhetorical question and also inside joke, I had to contextualise it, and the best way I can do that is through storytelling. So I had to set a mood to capture the delirium, a place a feeling. The storyline then informed the sonic direction because if that story was going to be sad, then the song had to be upbeat and happy, and Quintin Zoto, my guitarist & co-producer on this one, captured it best”.

Though not on the upcoming EP, Koly explains that the track definitely comes from its universe. “In my head, it’s the beginning of the ‘Feel Better Fest’”, he explains. “You only get better after you’ve realised something was wrong in the first place — and ’(is it even) Hot In LA’ was that moment in time”.

The upcoming EP, “Feel Bad Fest”, which will be out on August 18. Until then, we’re pressing repeat on “(is it even) Hot In LA”.

Stream “(is it even) Hot In LA”…