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The saddest song of 2013 (so far) is 'Song For Zula' by Phosphorescent, a downbeat track which blends traditions of classic country songwriting with stripped-back, electronic beats. The song is so moving, one writer at Nylon magazine even confessed listening to it made them cry. It is very sad indeed.
'Song For Zula' is taken from Phosphorescent's seventh album, but the track has seen the US singer/songwriter achieve international attention after years of work. We caught up with Matthew Houck to discuss making grown ups cry, why sad songs will always find a listener and the importance of making sure listeners are given a healthy dollop of hope along with the misery...
How does it feel to make people cry with 'Song For Zula'?
That's just what happens with sad songs. How they can be healing or somehow comforting is a mystery to me. I don't know how that works but I hope that it does. For me, that kind of heartbreaking stuff is powerful. The reaching effects are huge.
Is there anything more crippling than heartbreak?
For sure. There's all kinds of pain and suffering that can take the place of a broken heart. But heartbreak is such a primal feeling, like hunger.
Why does the best art come out of the worst sadness? What is it about sad songs that connects so much with people?
Hopefully it's not so much about me or what my actual feelings might be. Hopefully there's that transmission between just feelings and art. If I'm doing my job right it's the art that is responsible for what feels emotional, uplifting or whatever it does. Hopefully there is enough art in there.
Listen to 'Song For Zula' below
When it comes to putting together the album, when there is a lot of emotional, tragic stuff on there, is it important to make sure there are at least a upbeat few moments of light and hope?
I don't know about upbeat. The subject matter is bleak enough, so the beginning and ending of the album, 'Sun Arise' and 'Sun Arising' was definitely important for me to put on the record, because it hits pretty low depths over the course of the album. The beginning and end I really wanted to be uplifting.
Logically, if you wanted to bookend a record you'd put a sunrise at the beginning and a sunset at the end. I wanted to put a sunrise at the beginning and another sunrise at the end, just as a reminder to head toward the light and that the light is there at all times.
In the past few years there's been so much empty pop music. Do you think there is a yearning now for something more authentic and more heartfelt?
I have a lot of faith in people and people's taste. I'm not really aware of what is popular right now, I just know that it is out there if you are looking for something that is maybe a little deeper than a lot of pop music right now. Saying that, I do think pop music has it's place as well. I love that stuff. It's tricky.
Phosphorescent is the work of US singer/songwriter Matthew Houck
The track is getting huge international attention and there is a lot of interest in Phospherescent right now. Do you think the music industry is too intent on finding immediate hit singles and most labels don't have the patience to wait until album No.7 to really make an impact?
I think the first several records didn't get enough attention. The artists I like and who are worth their salt and who can sustain their work, it will take patience. It's doubtful that their first releases will make sense to people straight away, I think people need a body of work to pull from. Most of my favourite artists were a dozen records in before I heard of them.
You recently performed at South By South West. For people who have never been, what is so special about SXSW?
It's just a real mix and mess of thousands of bands. It's definitely a one of a kind thing, it's just so huge.
And with that, Houck had to rush to catch a plane. Muchacho is out now. Read our review here.
