EP ANNOUNCE FROM SERPENTWITHFEET
serpentwithfeet returns with new single ‘Sentinel’, the lead track from his upcoming ‘Sentinel’ EP, a meditation on devotion, desire, and the rituals that shape intimacy. Drawing together experimental pop, gospel, blues, and classical composition, the single is the opening statement of the EP’s larger artistic vision, reconnecting with the choral traditions and emotional candour that have long defined his music, while embracing the confidence and perspective gained through years of collaboration and artistic growth. It is released on 4th December and marks his signing to London label One Little Independent Records.
‘Sentinel’ examines the intersections of power, possession, the ecstatic, and the erotic. Inspired by histories of male companionship and the bonds that emerge in enclosed, male-dominated spaces, the track explores a partnership shaped as much by reverence as it is by romance. Musically, serpent drew inspiration from their chants, anthems, and maritime chanteys. He was fascinated by the Achillean bonds forged at sea, on the railroad, in monasteries, sports, and the military, as well as in glee clubs and leather bars – spaces where men develop their own rituals and languages.
“I was thinking about homoeroticism and the ways that men socialise when they’re isolated,” serpentwithfeet explains. “Then I started thinking about patriarchy. One of the ways it’s sustained is because men instinctively know their role. Whether you’re the alpha or the beta, whatever those words mean, you know where you fit on the rung. Another grown man is willing to genuflect, to yield responsibility or become a little less autonomous because somebody else carries more power or privilege. For me, that feels like religion. It made me wonder what happens when we experience that erotically. What happens when we willingly let someone hold our heart because of the way they move through the world?”
Alongside the single, serpentwithfeet is the first artist featured by FERN, a new nature-based music performance platform. Filmed in the woods of the Pacific Northwest in Canada, the episode presents “sentinel” as an intimate performance shaped by movement, natural acoustics, and place. The full episode premieres September 23 on FERN’s YouTube channel, and with The FADER joining as an editorial launch partner and collaborative social release.
“I wanted it to feel wild,” serpentwithfeet says. “When you’re completely consumed by love, it can feel like a calling, as though you’re spellbound. The lyrics are beautiful, but they’re also a little unsettling. Working with movement and choreography, I wanted that character to feel passionate, but also feral.”
Watch FERN PRESENTS: serpentwithfeet — EPISODE :001 here
Raised in the church in Baltimore, serpentwithfeet has long drawn upon gospel as both a musical tradition and philosophy. While recent years have seen serpentwithfeet lending his voice to projects across contemporary R&B and pop, ‘Sentinel’ draws those experiences into a musical language that feels unmistakably his own. Across the upcoming ‘Sentinel’ EP, serpent leans into his affinity for theatre, storytelling, and high drama, using frequent vocal transformations to deepen his character work. Vocal counterpoint and incendiary percussion coexist, reflecting an artist equally interested in the tradition of sacred music and contemporary experimentation.
Over the last decade serpentwithfeet has established himself as one of contemporary music’s most distinctive voices. Following his debut EP ‘blisters’ in 2016, he released the critically acclaimed albums ‘soil’, ‘DEACON’ and ‘GRIP’, followed by ‘GRIP SEQUEL’ in 2025. His wider practice encompasses recording, dance, and theatre, including ‘Heart of Brick’, a stage work co-written with poet Donte Collins and directed by Wu Tsang centred on love, community and magic within Black queer nightlife. Across his career, serpentwithfeet has collaborated with artists including Björk, Daniel Caesar, Ty Dolla $ign, Nao, Nosaj Thing, Ellie Goulding, Moby, Mick Jenkins, and Sampha, while continuing to explore intimacy and identity with an unmistakable musical voice.
