Smellkin Ernesto - "How Much Longer" | New Music

Cover art by Noah Lawrence-Holder

It's been a minute since we've heard from Smellkin Ernesto. The songwriter last released music back in early 2019 with his EP, Cambios. The release featured lyrics in both English and Spanish, which were blended together as Ernesto reckoned with his identity as a Colombian adoptee in Minnesota. Earlier this month, he released "Solo Dimelo" and followed it up with a new track "How Much Longer," released on March 15. 

In a forthcoming interview on the Ear Coffee Podcast, Ernesto said that the single was written in response to the events of the last year. "How Much Longer" is a sobering track to listen through - he smoothly delivers line after line detailing the frustration and resentment built up by generations of oppression. The message is underscored by his blend of lofi soft rock and soul to create an eerie dichotomy between rage and exasperation. 

Without sounding too cliché, Smellkin Ernesto is an artist that you need to be aware of. His previous work is fantastic, and I hope we don't have to wait two more years before we hear new stuff from him.

Ernesto was recently featured on Voices in the Back, a multimedia initiative for BIPOCC artists in the Minnesota music scene. 

You can listen to "How Much Longer" and watch his episode on Voices in the Back below.