King Ibis Channel The Original Gaslighter On New Single 'Did You Dim The Lights'

In recent years, the term “gaslighting” has become a frequent part of the vernacular, commonly used to describe manipulative behaviour, particularly in relationships.

The etymology behind this colloquialism is unpacked in the latest single from Perth (Boorloo) based band King Ibis, who used Patrick Hamilton’s 1938 play “Gas Light” as lyrical inspiration. Hamilton’s original play follows a wife driven to madness by her husband covertly adjusting the house’s gas lights, and then denying doing so. You could expect something along the lines of “did you dim the lights?” to be uttered throughout this exchange, which fittingly is the title of King Ibis’ single.

The band’s lead singer Nadene Burchell says she “wrote the song after moving through a deeply confusing relationship dynamic.”

The second single of the year for the indie-rock four-piece, Did You Dim The Lights is a dark, dynamic, and deliciously catchy track, even featuring a verse in Italian.

“This verse was just fun,” Burchell says. “I spent a long time learning Italian throughout the relationship, and I wanted to slip it in there somewhere.”

“It was a dark time in my life, but hey, we got a cool song out of it!”

King Ibis’ latest single ‘Did You Dim The Lights’ is available on streaming platforms now. King Ibis have upcoming live shows across from November WA, with tickets available here.