I am you, with the earth

I must admit, I have been preoccupied with what life has demanded of me the past two months that I’ve neglected using this medium to communicate. Perhaps the chaos of an apartment move and EP release have clouded my brain and made it difficult to gather my thoughts, but alas; here I am.

Firstly, I have to thank you for your interest and attention. It’s hard to smush all the beautiful details and processes of creating into captions, and also not the right space to discuss the more intimate parts of my music. So the fact that you’re here and curious about the deeper meanings in my songs makes my silly little heart sing!

Since my last newsletter, I’ve released two more songs. Both of them were a challenge to make, but I gained a clearer idea of where I’d like to venture to in the future with them.

Up first was Worship, which feels like it contains all the elements of a song from my past while simultaneously being what I want to create more of in the future. The short form and break beats give it an ephemeral quality, but the lyrics pack an emotional punch. This song was written when I realized someone thought they knew me, knew my desires and had a wrongful perception of Who I wanted to Be. I wasn’t angry per se, but definitely invigorated to put my new self on display.

Also featured in the song is a sample of Orthodox nuns. I’ve been enjoying playing with different musical elements from the Greek culture, and it was so cool to sample a prayerful sound in a song about worshipping a new deity, yourself.

More recently, I released Me Ti Gi. The title translates to “with the earth” and it’s my debut song where I’m actually singing in Greek. I’ve spoken in it before, but this is truly the first time I’m singing it rather than using it in a bridge/transition.

The goal for this piece was simple; sexy yet full of philosophical depth. The chorus is “I am you, with the earth, all together,” and it carries a double meaning. Am I singing to someone I’m attracted to, where we feel so close it’s as if we are now one person? Or am I singing about how all of humanity is not removed from nature, we are nature and therefore we are one another?

In the same four minutes, it’s also a call to action in regards to the changing climate. We ARE this earth, and the way we function on it right now is killing us off. If we are to survive the immense change humanity is facing, we have to adapt and become somebody new. It’s a theme that’s intertwined on a very personal level throughout the EP, and on this song, it’s bigger than any single person. We are One.

I was going to write a separate post for the announcement, but since I have your attention, I might as well! All of the songs I’ve written to you about are off my next project…

Everything Is Growing, Am I? will be out on June 14th! You can pre-save it using this link and it’ll be immediately added to your library when it’s out.

The entire EP is a story about our changing identities. When looking at the earth, it morphs in a never ending cycle with seasons, growth and change. The repetitive nature of life, death and rebirth mirrors our humanity. We cannot, and should not, be the same person our whole life; we are one with the earth and our identities shift with the world around us. This EP is an ode to that, to pulling the roots out of a withering garden, to planting seeds in order to grow a new version of yourself, to the endless becoming that exists around and within us.

I cannot wait for you all to finally hear what I spent almost two years creating. I’ve poured my heart and soul into every aspect of this project, and am incredibly proud of what I’ve created with assistance from Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. If you’d like to celebrate the release (and my June 13th birthday,) come out to the release show at Epiphany Center for the Arts on the night the EP is out!

I’ll leave you with one listening recommendation. I wrote a long time ago about her debut album, but Marina Satti is back in my endless rotation with a EP titled P.O.P.

It’s a love letter to the Greek spirit, found in our villages and bristling with joy for no reason other than to be happy. I’ve been reflecting a lot on how Greek music makes it easier for me to experience happiness, and that it’s hard for me to write about positive emotions in English, but so effortless in Greek. Her EP has reminded me how fun music can be, and I hope you enjoy it! My personal favorite is LALALALALA.

That’s enough of my yapping, I could truly ramble for hours but I’ll cut myself off here. Thank you for reading, for listening, for enjoying the creations I make while trying to find some sense in the world. It carries more meaning than we’ll ever know.

warmly,

~tommy