Leaving behind your emotional baggage and moving on runs through the veins of “Essence of Me”, the new single from Portland’s Sparxsea. We are thrilled today to have the first listen, with accompanying video of this beautiful and meditative track, ahead of its release on Thursday, 29th August.
Sparxsea grew up in a small town in Northern Maine, and had an incredibly challenging childhood. In a family home with parents who were loving but dysfunctional, as well as being addicts and deeply troubled, she and her sister endured so much for so long. Despite the turmoil, she has managed to create music which looks forward, and brings much joy.
“Essence of Me” is an example of this. It’s uplifting – infused with unbridled optimism and beauty. The gorgeous layered vocals are paired with delicate acoustic guitars, and powered along by the electronic percussion. The end result is a swirling, lush ethereal song of hope and positivity. The video was created by Sparxsea. She gives us some insight into the track, and the video:
“Essence of Me” was inspired by growing up hypervigilant due to childhood trauma, and realizing all the layers that I’d piled on my sense of self. They were heavy and bound me within a world of expectations and effort. This song is about removing our walls and exposing our truth, so we can live from our hearts again. We all have this “essence” inside of us – love – so it’s a song for everyone, not just me.
My earliest forms of art were drawing and painting as a child, later moving into photography and filmmaking, so the visual arts always captivate my senses and I’m privileged to be able to combine them with music. During the pandemic, I began to create music videos for other artists such as Tim Reynolds, Nikki Glaspie, SeepeopleS, theWorst, Nth Power, Whitney Walker, and Sergiy. The infinite world of video is a wonderful way to experience music.
Making the “Essence of Me” video was an artistic expression of the freedom, fun, and enjoyment of nature that the song talks about. There were no plans for it. We went to the bayou and explored new places, filming spontaneously on boardwalks, an airboat tour, and a broken swing. I edited the video with crazy colorful overlays, which was really enjoyable.”
Sparxsea’s album, On the Sea, will be released on the 13th of September. The album was co-produced by Will Bradford and Will Holland.
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Header photo credit: Will Bradford
