Establishing the mood with a timeless and emotive guitar soundscape, Fred Presley opens Sympathize with brooding vocals as he sings, “You throw it away, you don’t even care about what it means, cos if there’s time to spare and I never thought that man could be so cold and ignorant…”
The opus expands with poetic prowess and introspection as Fred Presley shares a philosophical perspective on our collective lived experience. The guitar performances are sublime, the electric guitar interludes are incredible, adding a high emotional quotient to the composition and conscious lyricism.
In essence, Sympathize is about humanity’s damage to our planet and the moral failure to care. It criticizes notions of apathy, greed and political lies which are disguised as progress. The lyrics expose how greenwashing serves profit and not nature.
There is viable anger, grief and disbelief at how much harm has been caused. Mother Earth is beautifully portrayed as suffering and crying out for empathy. The message is clear, that time is running out, and hope alone is no longer enough. Fred manifests a call to change selfish ways before the damage becomes irreversible. He says, “The song was written to shed light on the damage humans are causing to the environment and the impacts that damage is having on so many. It is also a call to action for people to demand change from our world leaders.”
Fred Presley confesses how Sympathize draws on the spirit of 60s and 70s icons like Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, and Joan Baez, which we can feel come through in his sound, there is also some John Lennon in there! The choral harmonies during the choruses and the existential finale with the raw tenderness of Fred’s voice truly bring us to the verge of tears.
Hailing from Wethersfield, United States, Fred delivers the song with acoustic guitar and heartfelt vocals. He collaborated closely with producer Eric Lichter, who also contributed bass, electric guitar, percussion and keyboards.
Recorded at Dirt Floor Recording Studios in Middletown, Sympathize intentionally serves as the lead single from Fred’s debut solo album Our Selfish Ways – a 10-track collection written entirely by Fred and shaped through a decade-long creative partnership with Lichter.
Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added Sympathize to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the entirety of Our Selfish Ways!