Unrequited love is probably the greatest catalyst for the creation of art. All those pent up emotions end up having to go somewhere, and in the best scenarios they manifest as pop tunes rather than making a gift of your severed ear. In either situation, as with Arsoniste’s new single “Gravity,” there’s always a chance things won’t go your way.
When Rachel Sunter, aka Arsonsite, fell for her friend it was in a big way – the kind that creates uncomfortable impulses, grand gestures, and an infinite number of opportunities to find your feet lodged firmly in your mouth. “Gravity” was the resulting song. Unfortunately for Sunter, she may as well have gone the severed ear route.
“This is an unrequited love song about having crazy strong feelings for someone but not telling them, and being around them all the time,” says Sunter. “Like other emotions, when you try to repress love it tends to get stronger. The gravity analogy worked for how I physically felt at that time, around this friend; like all my cells were being drawn to her. I just wanted to stare at her and listen to her speak all the time. Total Shakespearean infatuation!
“I pulled this really emo move and performed the song for the first time in front of my crush at an intimate show. BAD IDEA. Totally exposed myself and I already knew she wasn’t feeling it; we were very close friends. I tend to do chivalrous, ridiculous displays of affection when I am in love.”
Sunter recorded the song a few months later with producer Trey Robinson at his studio space, and together with Richard McNeil in Halifax they managed a long distance collaboration which resulted in this pop tune devoid of the more embarrassing elements.
“Both guys added some really cool space elements, like the NASA conversation in the intro (Trey) and the satellite signals in the bridge (Richard),” says Sunter.
We should expect to hear “Gravity” on Arsoniste’s latest work, presumably out sometime in early 2020.
Show Dates:
11.08.19 – Truro, NS @ Holiday Inn – NSMW