With his latest single “Sunny,” Canadian singer/songwriter Sam Singer explores nostalgia and transition while taking inspiration from an amiable cat.
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Emotions and memories are personal, usually contemplated at their fullest in periods of solitude. When we delve into sentimental moments from the past, the reality of it all becomes distorted and the people, the places, and the feelings experienced merge into a type of fantasy. “Sunny” by Winnipeg-based singer/songwriter Sam Singer is an example of this as fragments of memories come together in the form of a short sonic and visual tale.
Sunny, you don’t have to come home
All those little games
All those little poems
When we were young
When we were kids
All those little games
All those little poems
“’Sunny’ is the result of a subconscious game of telephone,” explains Singer in explaining the way that the song and video was born from playful collaboration. “I was sitting with my guitar in my childhood bedroom and I just started singing, ‘sunny, you don’t have to come home.’ I thought to myself, ‘Do I know a Sunny?’” The only one that came to mind was my friend Giuliana’s cat. So I said to Giuliana, “I think I wrote a song about your cat.” Giuliana joined me on vocals, and it just clicked. Sometimes that just happens, and it’s pretty magical.”`
Sunny, you don’t have to come home
All those little dreams
All those little songs
When we’re apart
When we’re alone
All those little dreams
All those little songs
The vocals of Giuliana Guzzi-Gold adds a gentle harmony like the therapeutic purring of a sleeping cat. Midway through the song there’s a verse sung in French, ‘Le temps est encore au soleil couchant/ Les mots se perdent pendant que tu dérives/ La rivière si long/ Ou vous êtes,’ which is a lonely and dreamy scene projected in the form of a melodic whine.
Le temps est encore au soleil couchant
Les mots se perdent pendant que tu dérives
La rivière si long
Ou vous êtes
All those little times
All those little stars
“Meanwhile, I was talking with Adam Brooks who is a very talented artist, about working on an animated music video,” Singer adds in regard to the creation. “I wanted to see his interpretation of the song – to put the ball in his court, so to speak. What Adam showed me, of course, was a beautifully animated video starring this black kitty cat. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I never told him about Giuliana’s cat but he saw her.”
With “Sunny,” Singer’s the song and video come together to form one entity.
While music videos are often an addition to help promote a song, Adam Brooks’ series of illustrations views like a storybook with the song being an ambiance that brings it to life.
Sunny, you don’t have to come home
All those little games
All those little poems
When we were young
When we were kids
All those little games
All those little poems
There’s a woman bonding whimsically with her cat, playing chess, cards and putting on finger puppet shows for it. Together they have make-believe picnics with dolls and read together under a DIY tent. When the cat disappears into the surrounding countryside, the protagonist becomes lost and transported into a nightmare. As the song progresses, the presence of the woman’s child enters and seems to take on the comforting role that the cat had. As watercolour illustrations, the ideas blend into one another thus being a questioning of time, transition, and company. Whether an animal, a friend, family or the imagination, bonding is a magical thing.
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Stream: “Sunny” – Sam Singer
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© Kevin Tabachnik
© Kevin Tabachnik
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