Tell us about your new single/ album/ tour?
‘The Day I Thought About Dying’ came about over a year ago. It was then I formed a friendship with producer Devin Abrams (Drax Project, Shapeshifter, Pacific Heights, The Adults). We decided to work on the track together and this is what brought it into its final form. The song lyrically explores ideas of loneliness and isolation, with the music video beautifully accompanying this in a more metaphorical way.
What’s your favourite work at this point in time?
‘The Day I Thought About Dying’ is the work I am most proud of at this point, I think for me it always ends up being my most recent release.
How would you describe your sound in food form and why?
I think roast vegetables sums up my sound quite well, full of different flavors and not being confined to one cuisine (genre). Maybe it’s this because that is what I had last night for dinner…
Tell us a quick, on the road or studio, anecdote.
Recently on tour around New Zealand we stopped to film a live session on the desert road, next to one of New Zealand’s biggest ski mountains. What we did not anticipate was how cold it would be, after one take of the song everyone’s hands were to cold and tender to play anymore.
What, or who, inspires you?
I find a lot of inspiration in other peoples music, one particular artist of late is Bon Iver. Inspiration for me also comes from my life and every day interactions I share with people and the world around me.
Which song do you wish you wrote?
Purple Rain – Prince, the emotion in this song is something I imagine would be beautiful to share with a stadium of people singing the chorus. The way this song builds to a soaring climax with powerful guitar playing and vocals is something I love in music.
What’s next for you?
I am currently in the process of writing my 2nd EP, which is set for release next year, we will hopefully jump back on the road after that is released. But first I will retreat home to the coast for summer so I can hide away and write music.
What’s your scene?
I am currently based in Wellington; it is such a hub for creativity and experiencing art and that is why I love it, however there is a side of me that also loves the quiet and isolation of my home on the east coast of NZ.
SOLOMON CROOK (NZ) DROPS RAW AND AFFECTING NEW SINGLE & VIDEO THE DAY I THOUGHT ABOUT DYING
The enigmatic Solomon Crook has released a new single The Day I Thought About Dying, an immensely powerful track that will prompt the listener to consider the mark they will leave on the world once they’ve left it. Solomon Crook has also announced a truly stunning clip to accompany The Day I Thought About Dying. Directed by Oscar Keys and created in collaboration with talented choreographer Raquel Abolins-Reid, lighting designer Sebastian Fraser, designers Ruby Malcolm and Charlie Walkley and cinematographer/blocker Solomon Drader, the clip is a precise, divine experience with profound meaning.
The Day I Thought About Dying is a track that will remain with the listener long after it finishes. As steeped in meaning as the title itself, this eclectic song will bouy even the most downtrodden spirit; something about the deep introspection and bravery that emanates from The Day I Thought About Dying is undeniably magnetic and hypnotic. Produced by Devin Abrams (Pacific Heights, ex Shapeshifter and producer for Drax Project, The Adults et al), and for fans of Bon Iver and Matt Corby, this track maintains a bed of electronics that lays the foundation for a breathtaking vocal performance from Solomon Crook. Acoustic elements enmesh themselves amongst sharp production, and the end result is a deep, swelling, mighty piece of music. “This song explores the uncontrollable feelings of loneliness and isolation that we can all face,” says Solomon. “I wrote this song in a time when I was feeling separated from people I should have felt closest to. I felt this need to escape and break free of this helpless feeling but not knowing how. This song is me internalising these feelings and thoughts, reflecting on them and trying to understand them.”
The clip for The Day I Thought About Dying is appropriately commanding. Set amongst the ornate, story-laden walls of the Greek Orthodox Church Of Transfiguration, Solomon deals with unrest, in the form of shrouded figures contorting around him. These figures overtake him, as they cover him, twisting him around the church. Through a sliver in time, he spies a way out of this turmoil. Once complacent, Solomon finds himself now fighting his demons, managing to break free for an instant – and hurtles himself towards the darkness.
It is impossible to look away, as Solomon sings desperately into the camera, and the viewer is sure to be irrevocably moved by this clip. Describing the creation of the clip, Solomon says, “The filming of the music video was a such a special experience – the collaboration that was shared throughout the whole process allowed for a common vision of what we all wanted to achieve. Oscar’s original narrative and concept beautifully supports the lyrical content within the song, whilst giving it a hopeful sentiment that you can break through these feelings of darkness, like the figures in the video. I couldn’t be more grateful to work with such creative and expressive friends.”
The Day I Thought About Dying is just a taste of what’s to come from this talented young artist, and plans are in place for a second EP from Solomon Crook in 2020. Already having supported the likes of Amy Shark and The Teskey Brothers, and garnering hundreds of thousands of streams for his debut release Love Juice, it’s quite clear that this is just the beginning for Solomon Crook.
The Day I Thought About Dying is available to stream and buy now.
Stream: THE DAY I THOUGHT ABOUT DYING