How do you stay close to the ones you love when the world is pulling you apart? That’s the question sisters Katinka and Sigrid Kamp explore on ‘Who You Are’ — a dramatic and contrasting single that shifts between lush indie and an experimental universe. With clear references to Radiohead and Björk, Simako has created a protest song at a time when helplessness and global unrest are increasingly shaping our world.
“We wrote the song when the war in Ukraine broke out. It triggered a reflection on how political ideologies — even in everyday life — can divide people. You see it clearly in the US, where families fall apart over yard signs, despite deep love and shared histories. It’s about being incredibly close to someone, and still ending up as strangers,” says Katinka.
For Simako, music has always been a way to take a stand — and to feel like they’re making a difference. While their previous single carried a feminist message, ‘Who You Are’ speaks to the growing divide shaping both global politics and personal relationships.
Katinka and Sigrid Kamp grew up in a family where diplomacy and cross-cultural understanding were a part of daily life — their parents worked for the UN, and the sisters spent their childhood living in both Bangladesh, the US, Italy, Hungary, and Denmark. Growing up between cultures with ever-shifting surroundings shaped both their sibling bond and their worldview:
“It feels like the world is coming apart,” says Sigrid. “When you’ve grown up in an environment where people found common ground despite cultural and ideological differences, it’s especially hard to witness the polarization taking hold now. Using our voices through music is a way to speak up — and to cope.”
‘Who You Are’ places Simako within a rising wave of artists using music to respond to political unrest, climate anxiety, and social fragmentation. Simako expresses this through a sonic landscape that is both intimate and expansive.
The song opens with tremolo-picked guitar lines, immediately building tension. Hypnotic bass and layered vocal harmonies drive the song forward, while dissonant tones and raw textures subtly disturb the soundscape. Produced by Jakob Planch, ‘Who You Are’ unveils a more daring and sonically experimenting side of Simako than heard before.
