Singer/songwriter Kramies finds his fire and reconnects with himself on “Social Light,” an enchanting inner reckoning full of warmth, weight, and wonder.
Stream: “Social Light” – Kramies
It takes a strong hand to pull us out of a deep hole – and in most cases, there’s nothing physical about that strength.
For singer/songwriter Kramies Mark Windt (who goes mononymously by his first name, Kramies), getting back up again was a matter of reconnection and emotional reckoning. His critically-acclaimed self-titled album – and all that came with it – had opened new, previously locked doors, but in the wake of all that buzz and excitement, Kramies felt drained; zapped of his energy, unsure of where to go or what to do next.
Only through his own soul-searching and talking it out with others could he break down his walls and get out of his own way – and when he finally did emerge out of that hole, it was through his own passion, charisma, and inner strength. The singer/songwriter finds his fire and reconnects with himself on “Social Light,” an enchanting inner reckoning full of warmth, weight, and wonder.
It’s a song about keeping your North Star close; of remembering not just who you are or what you’re doing, but why you’re doing it in the first place. Through charting his own path out of the darkness, Kramies shines a light for all who end up there as well.
And we all end up there, from time to time.
Are you ready for this dear?
Have you made up your mind?
When fools can disappear
Somehow I’m alright
Run, we better run, we better run…
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Social Light,” an intimate song fueled by the fires raging within. Out everywhere April 19, 2024 via VanGerrett Records, Kramies’ first song of the year is a brutally honest, beautifully expressive return to form following his 2022 self-titled release, which Atwood Magazine praised for blending fantasy and reality into a lush, raw, and ethereal dream-folk triumph.
“Listening to Kramies’ new album is like stepping out of our reality and walking into a dream,” we wrote at the time. “His music is at once soothing, stirring, and unsettling; the stuff of folklore and fantasy with a deeply human core, it washes over the ears in visceral waves of mystic warmth. Gentle yet intense, his songs beckon us near, drawing us closer – and before we know it, we’re swept up in Kramies’ enchanting world of wonder, lost in the depths of his vivid stories and raw emotional outpourings.”
Itself a massive undertaking brought to life with a who’s-who of the music world, Kramies opened new doors for Windt, who received more attention from press, charts, and touring than he ever had before. But with that success came pressure, and a healthy dose of stagnation set in.
So when they started listening in
Well I tried to make it sad
‘Cause the chance I never take
Well that’s the chance we never had
I was searching for the curse
For witches at night
When fools can disappear
Somehow I’m alright
Run, we better run, we better run…
Did you hear my name come through the radio
Breaking up the airwaves, on and on I go…
“The last nine years I’ve had so many amazing opportunities, especially in 2021 and 2022… so I put a lot of pressure on myself all of 2023 and really struggled through losing the flow. It was rough for a bit. I felt I lost something,” the singer/songwriter recalls in conversation with Atwood Magazine.
“But here’s what I remembered – it’s not the press or charts or anything else that truly matters, it’s the love you share with others, the energy you give to people that makes them happy, even in just a small moment. That’s all that matters – and I realized once again that I absolutely love writing and recording music, and instantly I found the flow again. I love this and I’m in it for life.”
Collaborating with Grammy-winning producer Mario J McNulty (best known for his work with David Bowie, one of Kramies’ personal heroes), Kramies found the words, the sounds, and ultimately the landscape in which he could reclaim his light and, in turn, his artistic voice. We feel a sense of release and relief come over him as “Social Light” transforms from its dark folklorish starting point, to greener, freer, and more cathartic pastures. “Did you hear my name come through the radio? Breaking up the airwaves, on and on I go…” the artist sings repeatedly at the end, back in the saddle once more.
“I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am to be releasing this new single ‘Social Light,’” Kramies smiles. “It means more to me than I could have imagined or known. I love doing this, and I love having the opportunity to make people feel positivity through music. This is the first song to come from this time frame, and my producer Mario McNulty really helped guide it along. It’s basically me yelling at myself to get out of my own way.”
Stream “Social Light” exclusively on Atwood Magazine and fall, once more, under Kramies’ hauntingly beautiful spell.
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Stream: “Social Light” – Kramies
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