“In my life it has felt like it has always been wrong – or a ‘crime’, in this instance – to be me,” says vocalist Kyle Kidd, explaining the meaning behind the lyrics of their brand new single “Scars Alight”. “The miseducation fed to me about who I have to be really affected my understanding of who I could be. My self image and ability to feel connections have, over time, been destroyed. This song touches on my releasing all of those notions that didn’t affirm the truth of who I am but furthermore holds my self accountable to pick up the pieces of who I truly am.”

Kidd – who is a member of the Cleveland DIY soul collective (and former Wire cover stars) Mourning [A] BLKstar – recently announced their debut solo album Soothsayer. Although the album features guest appearances from many M[A]B members, the songs tell Kidd's personal story of “salvation through the deep work of self-love”, presenting a “rendering of life beyond the binary”.

Soothsayer is released on 5 August via American Dreams. Read The Wire's Mourning [A] BLKstar cover feature in issue 439. Subscribers can also read the interview via the online library.