Sydney-based Valencia James is back with a new single “Friend I Can’t Keep”. Back out of the shadows after her debut EP Light & Shade and in the midst of a pandemic, Valencia now dives into more playful soundscapes while retaining her brand of edge and sarcasm.

“Friend I Can’t Keep” questions the space between love and lust, friendship and romance. “Where is the line and when do you know when it’s been crossed?” Valencia muses, daringly exploring emotions that not everyone is comfortable talking about.

She chases the thread of a real life issue, tracing a little beginning into its potential blow-up with vulnerable lyrics alongside co-writers Peter James whose involvements include a Grammy- winning song and PATØN whose recent work includes a single with The Voice Australia’s ELISHIA.

Valencia has previously been featured prominently on online media such as Earmilk, Idobi Radio, and VarianceMagazine. Her new release was mixed by Phil Blackbourn who has engineered a Latin Grammy-nominated album and mastered by Leon Zervos (Troye Sivan, Maroon 5, Amy Shark) in Australia.

“Friend I Can’t Keep” signals a new era for Valencia James, aligning EDM influences with her signature dark-pop voice. It is available worldwide August 21st, 2020 on digital streaming platforms.