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Mar 30, 2022 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Stijn Mulder

After the events of 2020 dashed her plans for her first singles, Suriname-born, Dutch-based singer/songwriter Neomi Speelman retreated inward, using the time away to develop her songwriting talents. Seemingly that time was well spent, given the attention her first single gathered on Dutch radio earlier this year. Recording under the moniker néomí, Speelman crafts soul-stirring chamber pop and ethereal folk, debuting last month with “if i wasn’t made for love.” Today she’s back with a new single, “eyes filled with sky,” along with an accompanying video, premiering with Under the Radar.

With her latest effort, Speelman draws startling beauty from sparse instrumental elements, crafting a track that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Speelman’s crystalline vocals act as the song’s glassy centerpiece, around which elliptical tracks of folk guitar and twinkling piano revolve. When put together, the song’s sparse instrumental foundations form an entrancing allure, touched with intimate homespun beauty. The accompanying video conjures the same placid sun-lit aesthetic, capturing Speelman in a gorgeous, daydream-like locale.

Speaking about the new video, Speelman says, “We shot it on a wonderful summer day in 2021 with the three of us (me, Stijn and Anna-rose) walking around in this beautiful park. I think we just tried to catch a vibe rather than an organised scenery. In truth the video happened a little by accident. We knew we were making something for this song but not per se something that would go on to be the ‘final’ video

“We wanted to give the impression it was a personal video shot between two people during some alone time together. A little like a home movie but we wanted it in nature. During the edit someone said the video felt like it was a personal photo coming to life, which I feel fits the mood perfectly. This song feels so dreamy and unrooted that the video needed that as well.”

Check out “eyes filled with sky” below, out now via [PIAS].