When vulnerability becomes great art

It takes a very special kind of courage to invite someone right into the most fragile spaces of one’s childhood, which is precisely the case with the single “Chasing Butterflies” from the fascinating musical universe of Martin & The New Songrise.

In a time when far too many people carry invisible baggage from their upbringing, frontman Martin Høybye puts poignant words and music to the complexities of growing up with mental illness in the family.

A relentless yet loving narrative about the void that follows into adulthood when, as a child, one has had to navigate a parent’s depression and emotional unpredictability—with a painful and poignant image of a child’s unconditional love that strikes right at the heart:

It is a brutally honest and heartbreaking, yet deeply caring description of the innocent urge to comfort and “fix” a sick parent.

It is authentic and genuine craftsmanship stripped down to the bone—devoid of unnecessary production, recorded live in one take with just vocals and a resonator guitar, and only gently complemented by a nylon-string guitar.

It is organic, human, and brutally honest in its complete nakedness, allowing the soul of the story to breathe.

A track that grows on you and comes highly recommended.

Listen : https://martinandthenewsongrise.lnk.to/chasingbutterflies

(For the Love of Music & Concerts, T. Bjorklund)