Sophie Jamieson is building towards the release of her Release EP in just under a month, and today she reveals the crushing “Concrete”. The new single finds her envisioning her slow death at a local roundabout – something which almost happened as she was knocked off her bike at the very spot shortly after writing the song. She says:
“When I was hit, I felt this intense relief as I flew through the air – the relief of being allowed to feel pain, having permission to cry, and a reason to be taken care of. It had a pretty serendipitous connection to the song I had already written, which is a song that fantasises about getting close to the ground – and being allowed to give up.”
“I slow down and I can smell the ground / I’ve never been so close to the sound of concrete,” Sophie Jamieson memorably begins the new track; it is the sound of someone letting all of life’s stresses and strains finally get on top of them, allowing the infinite weight to drag her down into the cold, unforgiving pavement. Although focusing on a moment when she finally relinquishes grip on life,”Concrete” turns this morbid idea into a moment of celestial beauty, with lightweight sounds and her rich voice describing the everyday world continuing around her – all resulting in something quite heavenly. Quietly oscillating melodies rain down, as a bed of caressing synth rises up, trapping Jamieson’s pained voice in the middle, eventually extinguishing it. Another track that shows Sophie Jamieson’s fearless approach to expressing her depression, “Concrete” is one of the most beautiful songs about dying we’ve heard in quite a while.
Watch the self-directed video for “Concrete” below.
Sophie Jamieson’s Release EP will be out on December 1. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
