New Jersey native and current Seattle-resident Steve Sachs draws us into an intoxicating and deeply personal world of electronic pop and indie rock on new solo project, Holy Nowhere.
Framed by a sense of wonder, irreverence and faith, the project sees him team up with distinguished artist/producer and all-around-creative Dana Why on forthcoming debut album, Soft Return, a striking and richly melodic tapestry unveiled with alluring lead single “Save You.”
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Led by a hypnotic swirl of bouncy rhythms, plucked bass strings, warm and lilting guitars and a compressed electronic beat, the track shines with honeyed vocals as he sings of hours of quiet contemplation.
Speaking of the message behind the track, Sachs says “This song is about looking for meaning and purpose in life and being unable to find it. We may try spiritual practices, turn to philosophy, or try to create meaning out of events and details that seem significant, but when we try to validate these supposed truths, we are met with silence and indifference from the universe. We eventually come to a point where rational thought cannot take us any further. The paradox I’ve experienced is that not-knowing leads to a kind of intuitive understanding, but that trying to turn that understanding back into language is impossible. The chorus of this song – “Everything just happens / And no one’s in charge / Everything just happens / For no reason at all” – is an attempt to articulate something unsayable. All attempts are bound to fail.”
Weightless yet powerful in its arrangement with lyrics underscored by nihilism and hope equally, the track is elevated by cinematic visuals, directed by Tommy Butler, which cleverly uses footage of the annual Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake, featuring participants running and recklessly tumbling down a hill in pursuit of a large wheel of cheese. It’s presented in black and white, and edited utilizing slow motion and reverse effects, spotlighting its inherent absurdity, warning against taking comfort in tradition.
Having made a name for himself writing guitar-driven, fuzz-pop bangers with his former band,YJY, Sachs reignites the creative fire inside him under his solo project, drawing us into a propulsive and organic musical world.
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