Henry Coke’s “I Want To Feel It In My Heart” is an intimate interrogation of faith

“Unpacking my lyrics, and writing songs, it helps me to realise the questioning of my own faith... it’s almost a form of meditation,” Coke tells BEST FIT. An institution that “everyone in his family has served,” the born-and-bred Londoner grew up visiting church every Sunday. Now age 24, it’s an experience that embedded his love of music.

At university, Coke began to reject “the worship music world” and refined his desire to become a songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. This focus on production is what gets him “the most excited” about the musical process, feeling that “synths, guitars, and drums” hold equal importance to the lyrics and melodies of his songs. An emphasis on the exploration of often “random sounds” is what inspires him to continue creating until he reaches a “full circle” moment.

To view “I Want To Feel It In My Heart” as solely an interrogation of faith would be to disregard the depth with which Coke writes. The track is an examination of our shared human experience, our need to find belonging, and a collective sense of why we’re here. Coke’s towering vocals tell of “how easy it could be to kneel at a throne and give yourself away,” he describes. Accompaniments include guitars, pianos, and, in a nod to his upbringing, the harmonica of The Salvation Army. A masterfully assembled ensemble compels us to look within, giving us a glimpse into Coke’s musical heritage and the distinctive universe he is cultivating.

Whilst his releases find commonality amongst the ruminative works of alternative innovators like Sufjan Stevens and Bob Dylan, Coke is looking to establish an independent creative profile: “I’d like to branch out, I think the faith stuff will always be there, and it always comes back to that point. I’d like to find new genres, but I’ll always be scratching the same itch.”

In entertaining a recognisable artistic profile, Coke isn’t afraid to provoke. Though he sometimes believes that “the Christians aren’t gonna like this,” he’s still surprised by the universality of his lyricism, remarking, “It’s always the lines I think are gonna do the opposite, that end up doing the opposite.” This ease of association with his songwriting underscores both the individuality and everyday humanity of his soundscape.

Henry Coke plans on releasing more music later this year, with some expected performances already lined up at regular London indie monuments such as The Windmill and The George Tavern. He’ll be playing an OMEN Magazine presentation at the latter on 11 August.