London-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Calista Kazuko has today released her emotional latest single, ‘Colouring the Lines,’ which is an ode to her growing family.

‘Colouring the Lines’ sees Calista going back to and embracing her classically trained roots. The song, stripped back to acoustic vocals and piano, exudes vulnerability, without lacking finesse and substantial power. The song is heartfelt and honest, a love-letter to life and all its messiness and beauty. It encapsulates the excitement and unknown of the future, mixed with the lasting bitter-sweet memories of the past. A cinematic reminder to enjoy the present, to slow down and embrace the ‘now’. There’s also a faint and nostalgic familiarity to the track, no doubt the result of thousands of years of classic familial love songs.

The song was recorded at the historic Temple Music Studio with Head Engineer, frequent collaborator and co-producer, Ru Lemer. It also features fellow Royal Academy alumni Ana Victoria Marinkova on cello. The acoustic nature of the track accentuates Calista’s sophisticated and powerful vocals, whilst Marinkova’s cello accompaniment harmoniously dances with the piano. The restrained and stripped-back nature of this track only accentuates the song’s powerful message. It is no wonder that Calista has previously been compared to the likes of Regina Spektor and Tori Amos.

‘Colouring the Lines’ was written and recorded between the births of Calista’s two children with her second daughter due imminently. Yet it is not only an ode to her expanding family, but also an homage to Calista’s late Father, the esteemed violinist Paul Robertson, leader of the Medici String Quartet, who passed away in 2016. In this respect, the embracing of Calista’s classical roots is two-fold: a nod to her classical training, but also her family, who are inextricably linked with classical music.

Sharing her experience of writing the song, Calista Kazuko says: "This song is a love letter to my growing family, a thank you for everything! 'Colouring the Lines' is my attempt to capture the whirlwind and magic of parenthood, the constant contradictions and unknowns, the frustrations whilst wanting to live in every moment."

The single has also been released between the writing of two musicals. Her critically acclaimed debut musical, Fury and Elysium, made in collaboration with playwright Stephanie Martin, premiered at The Other Palace in June 2023. Fury and Elysium was hailed as one of ‘the best UK theatre [shows] to see in June 2023’ by Attitude Magazine. Additionally, West End Best Friend’s four-star review noted that Fury and Elysium is a “bold, revolutionary, and fearless piece of theatre.” Calista’s next show, written with Kate Marlais, is in development and due to hit the stage in Autumn 2024.

It is also Calista’s first solo single since the critically acclaimed ‘So Much Love’, an oxytocin-fuelled love-song, which received praise from LOCK Magazine, EARMILK, Music Crowns, Skopemag and more.

The album’s artwork was created by Enya Belak.

‘Colouring the Lines’ is available to stream now.