New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The new ambient folktronica single, "Away" from Melbourne singer songwriter Harp Samuels vulnerably depicts a new reality in the aftermath of losing a loved one. He captures the haze and strangeness of his father's death and translates that into a whispering electronic ache that flows and floats about a distant, dark space. "Away" is the third single off of his upcoming album, Breathe, due out
September 14.
Listen to the single "Away" on Soundcloud or Spotify (approved for posting)
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Written soon after his father passed away, Samuels was thrust into an unknown and perplexing headspace. Having already lost his mother over a decade earlier, he transplanted into a world of sheer confusion. A loneliness emerged within Samuels as he longed to be with his parents, to hear their voices one more time. "Away" surfaced within these swirling emotions and transformed into an ethereal electronic supernova to convey the transcendental feeling of being stuck between realms of what life was before death, and what his life was to become. He says, "I deliberately used sounds that felt 'otherworldly' like the vocoder for the main vocals, and synth to try and capture the 'zoned out' and 'out of body' kind of vibes that you feel when your life changes, or when you lose someone you love."
"Away" slowly layers silk over the eyes of the listener as the song progresses, managing to emulate the peculiarity of navigating each day unable to fully see clearly. As Samuels describes, "It's that weird oscillation between feeling 'eerie and 'spacey' to everyday life and reality." The song remains fragile enough to hear each noise, and each tone darts about like stars glistening through the dark matter of the vast, quiet universe. Samuels sings, "I want to see you again// To feel you here with me once more// To hold your hand, to love, adore// To see your face, show hindered grace// And fill the space that took your place." The lyrics of "Away" are like the stars. They are the only honest, concrete thing manifesting themselves in an entire non-human universe that goes far beyond comprehension.
The album, Breathe, is a step onto undiscovered territory for Samuels. Walking towards a more electronic-driven sound, Samuels glides strongly into a new musical realm. His eagerness to expand and morph into new things musically represents how he views life, as a constant cycle of changing and adapting. Breathe, inspired partly by feelings of dealing with grief and finding hope, is his way of adapting. It serves as a means to connect with other people searching for a light through a troubled forest. Life experiences like losing both parents, divorce, travel, and general failure and success have brought Samuels to where he is now. He is not afraid to live freely and experiment. Honesty and rawness are flickers of light on each track, and put together, a bright beaming light strategically placed safely in the center of a dark room.
About Harp Samuels
Harp Samuels is a Melbourne, Australia born singer-songwriter. He has released two EPs, Getting There in 2013, and Colours of Waking in 2015. He then studied in California for a few years before releasing his debut album, Wanting, in 2017. His upcoming album is a testament to the spiritual, contemplative side of himself as a result of the loss of his father. It is also a completely new sound for Samuels, having moved away from his folk- driven past to a more ambient sound without a single guitar on the album. His debut album has over 200K streams on Spotify, and he has been featured on Spotify's Discover Weekly playlist. He also has been featured on MTV Unplugged and a banner in Times Square.
Praise for Harp Samuels
"The sound is so rich, full, and engrossing that it's hard to believe that the music and the message is as straightforward as it is. But it is, and that's the secret to Samuels' artistry. He's a disciple of beauty in all its forms, and his records are arrows right to the heart of his fans." - Dopecausewesaid
"There are some spine-tingling moments in the song. It's thoughtful and comforting. It has a spiritual inclination that is sure to pull in some listeners. I can't imagine hearing this in a cathedral (but I'd love to hear it)." - Ear to the Ground
"The start-stop arrangement of Harp Samuels' "Wanting" sounds like the distant fragility of Jeff Buckley's guitar work run through a latter-day Bon Iver-esque mood filter. Soul-inflected vocals, a la Moses Sumney, complete the arrangement." - Independent Clauses
"He is one of the most inspiring artists that I know; he is also a photographer and a true Renaissance man." -
Queen Beetch
"Sweet as summer fruit but underpinned by longing, they're redolent of stripped-down records by
Bon Iver and
Sigur Ros while imitating neither. These are statements of universal love and salves for emotional wounds. Harp Samuels is an angel on the shoulder of his listeners, purring words directly into their ears, and their minds. He engenders a feeling of intimacy and exclusivity: people who hear him tend to want to keep him like a secret. But his music belongs to the world." - Vents Magazine
"An incredible singer/songwriter with seemingly limitless depths."" - Mitch Mosk, Atwood Magazine
