Canadian singer-songwriter Ken Yates has released his third single, “Best of the Broken Things” today. The track, taken from his upcoming full-length album, Cerulean finds Yates piecing himself back together alongside with its accompanying icy, tranquil video.
Cerulean is out on June 3rd and is available for pre-order now HERE. Watch the video for “Best of the Broken Things” now below.
“Best of the Broken Things,” sees Yates take a hard look at himself as he explores his own conscience and gives himself a pep talk throughout the track. What began as a pep talk to another person transformed into Yates turning inward , telling these words to himself, and it was at this point that the forthcoming album took shape. Yates softly sings in the final chorus, “And the worst pain comes with no bleeding / When you’re stuck staring at the ceiling / But I think it’s worth repeating / You’re the best of the broken things / The best of the broken things.” With the help of producer Jim Bryson, the track concludes with an extended instrumental outro that initially saw various changes to its arrangement before ultimately landing on the stripped down version that can be heard today. In typical Ken Yates fashion, accompanied by the voice of Caroline Marie Brooks, the track ends with a long, hopeful crescendo as Yates manages to find the silver lining in otherwise fractured circumstances.
Describing how the track came to be, Yates says, “I originally wrote this song imagining it was a pep talk to another person. I sent a rough demo to a friend, and he mentioned it sounded like I was talking to myself. I started tweaking the lyrics as if I was looking in the mirror, and giving the pep talk to my own reflection,” Yates explains. “This song was a bit of a turning point on this album, when I realized the person who served as the “you” in a lot of these songs was really just me parsing through my own feelings.”
In addition to the new music, Yates will be touring this summer live with more to be added, across Ontario, Canada, as well as two dates in Michigan, and concluding with a date in Londonderry, NH. Multiple dates feature artists like Jadea Kelly, Abigail Lapell, Jenny Berkel and Brian Dunne. Tickets are available now HERE.
Yates will also have an official showcase at the Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City, Missouri on Thursday, May 19 at 7:45 PM CT. Registration for the 2022 Folk Alliance event is available HERE.
Ken Yates Summer 2022 Tour Dates
June 8 – The Ark – Ann Arbor, MI
June 11 – Pumpstock – East Lansing, MI
June 18 – Bayfield Town Hall – Bayfield, ON w/ Jadea Kelly
June 19 – Bowie’s – Smiths Falls, ON
June 20 – The Red House – Kingston, ON
June 22 – The Cameron House – Toronto, ON
June 23 – Aeolian Hall – London, ON w/ Abigail Lapell
June 25 – Mills Hardware – Hamilton, ON w/ Abigail Lapell and Jenny Berkel
July 27 – Concerts On The Common – Londonderry, NH w/ Brian Dunne