Honey nurtures, nourishes, and heals in the most literal of senses, but metaphorically it also floods the veins of Instagram darling Rupi Kaur's bitesize poetry. The Indian writer's work served as delectable inspiration for Steinchen's sweetly understated "Honey Instead Of Wine", a track that encapsulates the same accessible decadence of its delicately illustrated forebears. With a Portishead-esque delivery and vocals gently distorted – like the viscous warp of a Dalí clock – Steinchen's lyrics drip, golden, from her lips over restrained trip-pop beats.
"'Honey Instead Of Wine' is exploring the transcendent state in which everything feels like it has fallen into place and the whole universe is perfectly fine," Steinchen explains of the track. "It is doing so from a female perspective, and is thematising common self-doubt but solving this with empowering mantras that lead to finding strength and content within oneself. It is inspired by the poems of Rupi Kaur, celebrating the energy of sisterhood, using coven as a reference for empowerment and support."
"Honey Instead Of Wine" is accompanied by a video created in collaboration with American photo- and videographer Hannah Sommer. It's as enchanting as its soundtrack, with haunting shots that feature some of Steinchen's friends in tableaux at once decadent and austere.
