Combining soulful vocals with a mix of ethereal electronic elements and a crisper piano track, Wanders creates a new track that seems to freeze time.
Wanders demonstrates incredible skill and craft in his astute lyricism and intricate production. The track feels very close in space, some songs you listen to and others you just feel, this is the latter. While this track is inspired by a relationship with time it really feels like a longing love song for a long-distance love. Time seems almost irrelevant when you are with the person or people you love. This song seems to really be in those in-between moments when you are actually together. Incredibly heartwarming and definitely a song to tug at your emotions.
Wanders says that “This song explores my fluctuating relationship with time”
“‘Hourglass’ was written amongst a pool of demos I’d created during a recent hiatus I was taking from music, ironically. During that period, although I was still writing I’d taken a break from performing my songs and detached myself from social media, the latter playing a huge part in me allowing myself the space to go deeper with my introspection.”
“I loved writing this song because it compelled me to really look into the issues that cause me to feel overwhelmed a lot of the time. Initially it was difficult to write about because I was actually going through a period where that overwhelming feeling had become pretty intense. There was no way around it really, so I just had to go through it. I also knew that if I wanted to write a song that was completely honest, I had to dive deep which of course comes with a sense of vulnerability.”
“The symbolism of the hourglass refers to a finite space in which we can let our problems reside. It’s about allowing them to just be there without suppressing them, with the understanding that in the grand scheme of things they are essentially ephemeral occurrences.”
“Looking back on the process I’ve come to realise just how amazingly therapeutic writing music can be when you’re open to looking from a wider, detached perspective into the certain issues that cause us discontentment.”
Experimentation and expression are what drive creativity for UK based singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Greg Wanders. His songs explore contrasting themes of joy, suffering, fear and love that exist within a wider narrative of the search for liberation.
“I believe that this life is for freedom, which is something I’m trying to continually move towards. So with everything I create, the aim is to reflect that ultimately. It’s the single thread that ties all of these songs together.”
Drawing inspiration from the likes of James Blake, Sampha & Frank Ocean (to name a few), Greg has been forging a unique sound that sits somewhere between soul, r&b and electronica while sharing his experiential discoveries, guided by introspective lyricism to tell his story as it unfolds.
soundcloud.com/gregwanders
open.spotify.com/artist/7yBAn93FiWnK8HDhFZ0dD5
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Review by Hannah Schneider
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