When I first heard “Lost” (the second in a series of new releases from Sorcha Richardson) I was flooded with emotion. It was as though all the clouds had at once been revealed, and begun to move into the periphery at the same time. Since its infectious and elating chorus first penetrated my ears, I have listened to it endlessly, and it has become somewhat of an anthem for me, and to some degree a saviour. It was the final tool necessary for me to take the plunge out of my own heartbreak, (which had been dragging on for years) and emerge unbroken with a new thirst for life.
It isn’t uncommon for art to make you feel something, and one might argue it to be the arts’ predominant function. What is rare however, is when a piece of art affects you with such an imminence and immensity, that you feel yourself immediately thrust forward into growth.
Written for a friend in a time of need, “Lost” is earnest, warm and full of compassion. Sorcha Richardson somehow manages to be the friend that she is to the subject, and to all of us by sharing this with the world.
Harrie, Bitter Sweet Symphonies: Both “Walk Away” and “Lost” deal with heartbreak, albeit in two very different ways from two very different perspectives. While “Walk Away” deals with one’s own anticipated heartbreak, in “Lost” we see the lens focused from the outside looking in at a friends pain and somehow managing to create a deeply honest, yet somehow infectious lighthearted pop banger. Did your own experiences with heartache in anyway shape the conceptualisation and songwriting of “Lost” and if they did, how so?
Sorcha Richardson: I didn’t really think about my own experience at all when I was writing it. I could see this situation in front of me – this thing that my friend was going through – and I just wrote about that, from the outside in.
It’s a really universal thing though. And it’s not just about a broken heart. So many people have these moments of like “What am I doing with my life?” that really freak them out and they put so much pressure on themselves to have the answer. But its okay not to know. Even though some people look like they have a masterplan and all of their shit together, I think that everyone feels a little bit lost.
You have had a lot of people asking after your friend, of whom “Lost” was written for, and thankfully their heart is okay. Have they expressed to you how the song impacted them and their grief?
We listened to the song a lot this Summer and it was just this sort of unspoken friendship anthem. We didn’t talk too much about the song. We’d just put it on when we were driving around LA or Upstate NY. But he texted me the morning the song came out and just said thanks for writing it and helping him feel better and that it means a lot.
“Lost” is an incredibly catchy tune, my own father informed me that he woke up in the middle of the night haunted by the chorus of ‘I don’t want to see you waste another day, in your heartbreak’, going round and round in his head. And the cafe I work at [in Australia] has all the staff bopping their heads, singing and dancing. Did the melody just come to you, or did you set out to come up with a hook that would work its way into the deepest parts of the human brain forcing the listener to dance and be happy at any opportunity?
Haha that’s amazing. I wish it was closer so I could swing by for a coffee. I wrote it really quickly and the melody just came to me. The verses changed a little from the demo but the chorus felt right from the start. It’s not always that easy though. Sometimes I’ll rewrite a chorus ten times until I feel like it’s good enough (which was the case with ‘Petrol Station’).
My favourite type of songs are ones that are…happy gloomy…if you know what I mean by that, and “Lost” fits in quite well with that theme, do you have any favourite tracks that tread the happy/sad divide quite well?
Yes! Loads.
Robyn – Dancing On My Own
Lykke Li – Just Like A Dream
Arcade Fire – Sprawl Mountains (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Frankie Valley & The Four Seasons – Bye Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye)
ABBA – The Winner Takes It All
When you started out playing music you began as a drummer, I saw in an interview once that you didn’t think yourself much a singer, has that changed much?
I’m way more comfortable as a singer now than I used to be. I didn’t really sing until I was 19 so it took me a while to feel confident doing it. I go to a vocal coach now and do vocal exercises (almost) everyday so that’s helpful too.
It is/was your birthday today/the other day….how are you celebrating/did you celebrate?
I spent the day in the studio and then hung out with my friends in Brooklyn that night and then we celebrated again on Saturday. Was pretty tame but fun.
If you had to create and cast a reality television series with no limitations, what would be the concept and which four people would you cast?
Trying to think of something that is more entertaining than the Bachelorette and I just can’t…
Sorcha’s new single ‘Lost’ is out now on Swim Out Records. Buy here on iTunes.
Photo Credit: Kaitlin Christy
