Track of the Day: Four Nights - 'Not This Time'

Tommy Buckley, AKA Four Nights, has just released his latest single, giving his listeners a taste of what to expect from the EP with slow-burning confessional track 'Not This Time'.

Buckley is the former lead-singer of Irish electro-pop band Tanjier, but has re-emerged under a new solo moniker. Following on from three well-received singles, ‘Not This Time’ explores intense heartbreak and the daily struggles that arise from it; obsessiveness on social media, insomnia and gut-punching realisations.

Tommy began writing his debut EP last April as Four Nights. Two months prior he had switched off from music completely, setting off to travel South-East Asia for a year. However, just five weeks into the life-changing trip, he was forced to come home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deciding to release his debut singles in November, the track quickly gained over 100,000 Spotify streams and heavy rotation on national radio. He followed this up with another track in February which landed slots on the ‘New Pop UK’ and ‘Chilled Pop Hits’ editorial playlists on Spotify.

"I started writing ‘Not This Time’ years ago. I made multiple versions of the track with a variety of melodies and structures, before I parked it due to listener fatigue. It was only when I was finishing out my EP last year that I realised this song would make a perfect finale," Tommy tells Hot Press.

"Once it had its place, the whole thing came together in a day. As is with most pop/indie-pop records, my EP is centred around a relationship. It begins with the intense honeymoon phase, and develops to the point where both parties begin to drift and fall apart...My latest song ‘Not This Time’ is the final chapter of this story; the aftermath of the breakup. The protagonist is in bed alone coming to terms with the fallout, ultimately accepting that the other person’s love was not meant for them - not this time anyway."

'Not This Time' focuses around Buckley's strong vocals and lyrical vulnerability, while background beats and synths build up momentum and a hypnotic atmosphere.

Tommy drew on his experiences of loss in general to curate inspiration for the powerful song.

"I’m lucky enough to be in a happy long-term relationship, so the sentiments expressed in the opening tracks are based on real feelings. The majority of us have struggled with loss, whether through bereavement or breakup. Personally these struggles are strongest when I’m in bed with no distractions. I think most people can relate to that," Four Nights continues.

"I spent an intense eight weeks writing, recording, and producing music and ended up with about 30 songs that I liked. The tracks that I chose for the EP weren’t necessarily my favourites, but to me they made sense together when in a particular order. I then brought the songs to Marcin Ciszczon of Diffusion Lab who added the finesse that you hear in the finished product. His talent genuinely has no limit!"

Listen to 'Not This Time' from Four Nights below: