Dikajee has released “Friar’s Lantern“, a new single featuring Guillaume Bernard, guitarist of KLONE, and another glimpse into her forthcoming second album, “The Frame“, due on 6 November 2026.
There is something quietly unsettling about the idea behind the song. Dikajee describes it as a piece that could be sung to someone who is dying, offering reassurance at a moment when fear might otherwise take over. But “Friar’s Lantern” is not simply a song about death. It is also about the parts of ourselves that we might have lost along the way.
Dikajee speaks of the “ghosts of dreams” that may have died somewhere inside us, and of the possibility of finding them again by reaching deeper into ourselves. Somewhere beneath everything that happens in life, she imagines that the child who once dared to dream, laugh, fall in love and say yes to adventure might still be there.
It gives the song a surprisingly hopeful heart.
This song is empowering, but at the same time it’s a type of song that you would sing to someone who is dying; you’re gonna be ok, it’s gonna be fine; like a reassurance to make the dying person avoid horror.
The title itself comes from the image of a wandering light, something mysterious appearing in the darkness. Dikajee originally considered calling the song “Wondering Light“, a phrase that perhaps captures its central idea just as well, but ultimately chose the more enigmatic “Friar’s Lantern“.
Musically, the track reflects the distinctive territory Dikajee has established throughout her work, where progressive rock, folk, classical music and metal meet without needing to stay inside any one of those worlds.
The collaboration with Guillaume Bernard is particularly fitting. The guitarist from KLONE also appeared on Dikajee‘s 2021 debut album, “Forget~Me~Nots. That album demonstrated the remarkable range of Dikajee‘s voice
“The Frame” continues that adventurous approach with an international group of guest musicians. Among them are Jonathan Noyce of Archive and Jethro Tull, Varijashree Venugopal of Snarky Puppy, German Vergara of Aisles, Christian Ayala of Avandra, and Vikram Shankar, whose credits include Pain of Salvation, Charlotte Wessels and Within Temptation.
For Dikajee, the new album also marks another chapter in a personal journey. Born in Russia, she relocated to the United Kingdom in 2023 after receiving a UK Global Talent Visa, subsequently rebuilding her band with a new lineup.
Her work has already earned recognition in the progressive music community, including being voted #1 Best New Artist in the 2025 Prog Readers Poll. But “Friar’s Lantern” is less interested in musical credentials than in something much more human.
It asks what happens to the dreams we abandon, and whether they are really dead or simply waiting somewhere inside us. Sometimes, Dikajee suggests, you only need to find the light again.
“The Frame” will be released on 6 November 2026.
