In these unfortunately difficult times, with a worsening global pandemic and fraught domestic politics, Sanya N’Kanta’s new song “The Hard Lesson” is a bit of a reluctant anthem. The song’s straightforward lyrics hash out the response to losing a friend and letting go of the relationship. Today we’re premiering the song’s music video which is directed by John Isberg.

The song features a twisting guitar riff, which turns itself inside out while incorporated a subtle reggae-style rhythm. N’Kanta was born in Jamaica but moved to the Midwest when he was a bit older, bringing a wide variety of musical influences to his sound. Lyrically the song is upfront with lines like “Just because we’re friends / Don’t mean we’re friends forever” and “People can cut you like a knife / Sometimes you’ve got to let go.”

“This year, in particular, has been hard for friendships all around,” said N’Kanta. “I’ve seen a lot of people draw lines in the sand that didn’t exist before. I think the pandemic and recent events have made a lot of us reevaluate just who can be called a friend. ‘The Hard Lesson’ of letting go is something that almost everyone can relate to, and it’s never easy, always painful, but often necessary.”

When N’Kanta first released “The Hard Lesson” in October, he announced a new EP as well. Titled These Are The Days, the six-song extended play will be released on February 19 on Cash Hill Records. It’s the first new music from the singer-songwriter since his full-length album The Counterfeit Revival and produced by Chuck Alkazian and mixed by Scott Hull.

These Are The Days Tracklist:

1. “The Hard Lesson”
2. “Waste My Time”
3. “I Don’t Remember”
4. “Hold On”
5. “North Carolina”
6. “Never Let You Go”

Photo Credit: Breonna Collier