We previously featured New Sunday for transforming heartbreak, healing and resilience into the cinematic folk beauty of The Empty Street, so when we heard that the mastermind behind the Icelandic project, Einar Askelsson, was back with Here I Am Meant To Be, we were curious to say the least, and couldn’t wait to listen and share our experience.
Here I Am Meant To Be opens with an immersive alt-Country guitar soundscape laced with drama before we hear the lyrics, “I don’t believe in yesterday, I don’t believe in tomorrow, I’m stuck in between days, feeling myself with guilty sorry, took courage for me to life, after a while I feel the relief, I think I found a new place, here I can at least get some space…”
We deeply connect with the raw emotion of the prose, punctuated by emotive strings riffs and driven by the textured drums. In essence, the song is about existing proudly in the present moment. This philosophy feels super important and highly zeitgeist, delivered at a time when we need to hear it the most. Many of us get lost in the past (memories) or future (anxieties). Instead, New Sunday reminds us where we are meant to be, in this moment, right now.
The instrumental segue is a dimensional treat with choral vocals that feel like a cathartic release before a stripped-back middle-eight moment leading us through to an epic vocal crescendo and vibrant and empowering finale. The track would be perfect for a sync placement in a film like Voicemails from Isabelle, or a TV show like Nine Perfect Strangers.
Speaking on the background of the project’s artistry, Einar confesses, “I started in music about 12 years ago by coincidence. I was sick of CPTSD with terrible and painful symptoms. I fought it for 2 years and ended up as a wreck. Totally burnt out. In the beginning of my recovery process, I was telling my therapist about when I wake up with anxiety and it took until the afternoon before I was ready to face the day. The therapist said I needed to find something to fight against the anxiety when I wake up. I had a guitar and knew few chords. I don’t know why but I picked up the guitar after I woke up and started to jam. It was unbeievable how the guitar worked to slowly calm me down. I did this every morning for a long time. It took me about 5 years to get my health back again.”
Einar continues, “I’ve got a creative mind and had as a therapy too written a lot of poems. I did it to change my thoughts and emotions into words. I started soon to try to write songs with the poem as an inspiration. Well 12 years later, I know how to play the guitar, and I have pretty good knowledge of the music theory. So songwriting became my thing. I didn’t and don”t have any ambition to make it in a band and play on stage. That’s why I hire a vocalist and a producer for my songs.”
For some context, Lizzie is the featured vocalist, and Simon is the producer on New Sunday songs. We love the intentional message of the track and how Einar has channeled his pain into power to manifest such personal and important songs. We have added Here I Am Meant To Be to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist whilst we continue to stream New Sunday‘s previous three singles.