Singer-songwriter Erika Kulnys’ new single “Black Swan” is aching and melancholy, with introspective guitar and deeply heartfelt vocals that go beyond typical grief or sadness.
The song was written after an abusive relationship, one in which Kulnys suffered physical and emotional abuse. “It’s about reckoning with despair and finding the dawn after the long night,” she says.
The song was written and recorded over the course of not only a metaphorical journey, but an actual one. Kulnys began writing “Black Swan” at the Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival, and then finished it after finally leaving the relationship while traveling in the north of Ireland. She then recorded it in Habana Cuba at EGREM studios and Silvio Rodriguez’s Ojalá studio. The second guitar part is by Manuel Alejandro Vaillant, who she met while living in Cuba.
The song touches on the larger theme of her album Stand Together. Stand Together is about empowerment and solidarity, and Erika hopes this song raises awareness about same sex abuse, a subject that’s still taboo and remains largely untouched by the media. There are still significant barriers to lesbians seeking help. Lesbians often do not report abuse to police for fear of prejudice, and in many places, the law fails to protect same sex partners. Police often assume the abuse is mutual and are more likely to arrest both members of the couple. Women’s shelters and organisations may not be open to serving lesbians.
“Black Swan” captures a very harrowing point in Erika’s life, and the healing continues. “The abuse, and leaving, was incredibly hard,” she says. “I haven’t been the same since, but I have learned a lot about discernment, boundaries, and I am more prudent in giving my trust and my heart.” She adds, “May all people be respected and may women and trans people find the strength to leave abusive situations and develop good self-esteem and self-respect.”
