Hiatus Kaiyote Unveils Captivating New Single “Cinnamon Temple”

Hiatus Kaiyote unveils “Cinnamon Temple”, the final single from their upcoming album Love Heart Cheat Code, slated for release on June 28th through Brainfeeder Records / Ninja Tune. Having been a part of their live performances since 2015, “Cinnamon Temple” has garnered a fan following and is now officially released. This latest release follows the band’s previous singles “Everything’s Beautiful,” “Make Friends,” “Telescope,” and the album’s title track “Love Heart Cheat Code.” The single’s release comes just three days before Hiatus Kaiyote embarks on their comprehensive North American tour, with stops in cities like New York, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Oakland, among others.

Nai Palm explains the inspiration behind the song title, stating, “It’s named ‘Cinnamon Temple’ because in Mali, they have these mud brick mosques that appear as if they’re adorned with cinnamon. The song was inspired by a Malian rhythm, hence the reference.” Keyboardist Simon Mavin speaks about the track’s distinct energy, saying, “That kind of energy was emanating from Hiatus pre-covid, where we were exploring heavier riffs—not ‘metal,’ but just heavier.”

Love Heart Cheat Code captures the synergy of four musicians on the brink of creativity, offering 11 vibrant tracks that radiate positivity. The album emphasizes intuition over knowledge, a trust that can only be fostered through creative harmony and countless hours in the studio. The result is an album that is cohesive, relaxed, and reflective of a deeper understanding of themselves and the music they wish to share with the world.

The band’s direction for the upcoming album was not always straightforward; it was less about deliberate decisions and more about spontaneous creativity during late-night jam sessions. The album features contributions from other Melbourne-based musicians like Taylor “Chip” Crawford, who played an instrument of his own invention called the frello; guitarist Tom Martin; flautist Nikodimos; and the unprecedented addition of a significant creative force: Mario Caldato, known for his work with the Beastie Boys and Seu Jorge.

Hiatus Kaiyote has always viewed their albums as microcosms, complete ecosystems in themselves. For Love Heart Cheat Code, the band envisioned a vivid visual world to accompany the music, collaborating with Sri Lankan-born, Toronto-based multimedia artist Rajni Perera, whose painting serves as the album’s artwork. Illustrator Chloe Biocca and Grey Ghost worked with the band to create visual symbols and associated artifacts for each track on the project, which were paired with Rajni’s painting. These artifacts evolved into real products, custom jewelry, and edible goods, ranging from the inspired to the haunted and utterly random. This led the band to conceive an entirely imagined place, a Love Heart Cheat Code supermarket with the band as its employees who create these products, market them, stack the shelves, clean the aisles, etc. In the mundanity of transforming art into “product” for the modern world, the band finds comfort in each item (or song) as they are imbued with transcendent and resplendent musical magic.

Hiatus Kaiyote is made up of Naomi “Nai Palm” Saalfield (guitar, vocals), Paul Bender (bass), Simon Mavin (keyboards), and Perrin Moss (drums). The band’s music has been sampled by many renowned artists including The Carters (Beyoncé & Jay-Z), Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, Chance The Rapper, and Drake—with whom Nai Palm also collaborated on his Scorpion album. They’ve also received endorsements from celebrated artists including SZA, Kehlani, Willow Smith, and Virgil Abloh, among others. Last fall, Doja Cat covered Mood Valiant single “Red Room” at the Live Lounge in Los Angeles and has continued to perform the song across her tour.