Lim Orion details new album, ILK

ILK follows Lim Orion's 2021 debut album Cosmic Salt and her 2024 Live EP. Album opener "Story" is the second preview of the new collection of songs, arriving after lead single "Colosseum", released last month. "'Story" is about distraction - hovering between worlds or between decisions - when you are struggling in the middle part of a story, but something in you hopes you can still salvage the ending," Orion explains of the track.

"I wrote this in a situation I couldn't solve, drumming my fingers on the table waiting for clarity or courage," she continues. "We recorded the whole track live with the band and then really enjoyed flipping our idea of what the production should be, adding elements and then really focusing on the bluesy call and response choir'. Swampy single electric guitar hooks and organs carry this groove from a sort of dissatisfaction to a bright and raucous unravelling."

ILK consists of songs that were written as a form of escapism from difficult emotions that she experienced during a turbulent period of her life. “The heart of the album is my imagination during a time where I felt like I couldn’t act, each song is a different fantastical escape from that,” she explains. “I was struggling when I wrote these songs. It’s only now looking back across the lyrics I can see how they helped me to summon courage and to feel free.”

Working alongside producer Callum McGuiness, Orion created mood boards with colours, influences, and art for each song. The album was recorded across a few days with a full band, and takes inspiration from artists ranging from Fiona Apple and Beverly Glenn Copeland to Aretha Franklin and Mulatu Astatke. “I wanted it to feel like a true representation of what emotions can be, a combination of our experiences,” she adds.

ILK artwork

ILK tracklist