We’re delighted to premiere the latest single from Northern Irish singer-songwriter Foy Vance. ‘I Think I Preferred The Question’ opens with simmering, shimmering tension and thumping percussion like a heavy, slow heartbeat. When Vance begins to sing, the impact is immediate and hypnotic; the intensity, texture and character of his voice is stunning, pulling the listener into the poetry of his words, especially when the instrumentation pauses, leaving the focus just on Vance’s reflections: “Only time will tell if I knew you well // Or if I did not know you at all // It’s heaven, it’s hell // It is well // The spell dispels the more that I talk about it.” Lyrically, Vance’s vivid language and clever phrasing make for an impressive flow of thoughts, and as the melody rises and the rhythms become more urgent, there’s a gripping cinematic feel and genuine emotional power realised at the climax.
The accompanying video was produced and edited by Vance himself. Though homemade, it’s a deeply absorbing work of art in its own right. Full of fleeting images and symbols, including the unsettling, overlaid impressions of Vance’s face as he sings, it’s utterly absorbing and thoroughly dramatic. Vance clearly has a talent for visual art and moody filmmaking, as well as his clear songwriting gift. He says of the video, “This film, as the last one, was a voyage of discovery. I’m learning to not only embrace my limitations but lean into them. And just like everything I’ve ever done, it is a celebration of failure and its key role in success.”
2026 brings the promise of new music from the acclaimed Foy Vance. Beginning with his 2007 debut “Hope”, and including the magical “The Wild Swan”, which was executive-produced by the legendary Elton John, Vance has released six finely-crafted albums that trace a path through familial love and loss, through the heart of the human condition. While you wait for the next step in Vance’s musical journey, immerse yourself in the visual feast of the video for ‘I Think I Preferred The Question’.
