Old friends Jason McNiff and Berlin’s Tobias Panwitz deliver an infectious new single with ‘Impossible to Love’. This excellent co-write explores the theme of human relationships and miscommunication. The singers deliver their lines in their native tongues, German and English, literally unable to comprehend one another’s meaning and reinforcing that message of separation. McNiff’s bright electric guitar contrasts with Panwitz’s warm acoustic, and the pair engage in a musical dialogue, taking turns to play or sing. The accompanying video, made by Panwitz at his flat in Berlin, presents us with the pair’s long-distance friendship, as they appear to engage in conversation despite being many miles apart. Towards the end, the instruments quieten, generating a moment of stillness and calm before McNiff expresses himself through a beautifully tuneful guitar solo.
McNiff says of their relationship and the song: “I met Tobias at the East of Eden book shop in Berlin back in 2008, and we stayed in touch ever since. It’s been a long time coming that we did something together, and it was really a fun project to work on this. I’ve loved writing with Tobias, and this was all the more interesting in trying to combine the two languages and use them as part of the meaning of the song.”
McNiff is one of the UK’s finest Americana songwriters around today. The Hastings-based musician crafts beautiful, melodic songs that feel immediate and engaging. While you wait for new material from him, check out this collaboration – this is what music and friendship are all about.
