Drawing us in with an intricate piano riff, expanding with Spanish and electric guitars intertwined and a sublime saxophone performance, QUINTESSE and KARL JOSEF open On My Way with instrumental mastery and a high emotional quotient with the lyrics, “They kept saying let it be, said my dreams were not for me, I heard their no a thousand times, still I kept my dream alive…”
The opus continues to build with Karl Josef‘s naturally warm baritone. It creates an intimate and timeless quality that has us hooked. The instrumentation gradually expands, mirroring the lyrical journey from uncertainty and doubt towards self-belief. By the time the track reaches its more uplifting passages, it feels cathartic and earned.
There is a classic singer-songwriter sensibility running through On My Way, and we could imagine fans of James Arthur, Lewis Capaldi, Tom Walker and Passenger connecting with what QUINTESSE and KARL JOSEF have created. There are also hints of classic pop-rock storytelling in the arrangement, whilst the Spanish guitar and saxophone give the song an identity beyond the standard piano-led inspirational ballad.
At its core, On My Way is about refusing to allow somebody else’s perception of your limitations to become your reality. It’s relatable and empowering, really speaking to anyone who has been told that their dreams are unrealistic. The guitar solo is a pivotal moment after Karl sings the words, “This is where I’m meant to be….”.
There is also something particularly affecting about discovering that the song was originally written for Karl’s sister Victoria after she persevered through years of setbacks to reach an important milestone. The mother and son dynamic adds another layer as we learn that Claudia Heinrich-Witzenthaler wrote the song around Karl’s voice, whilst their recurring guitar and saxophone motifs reflect their individual musical backgrounds.
The story behind the recording is equally beautiful. This was Karl’s first professional studio recording, captured at Neptune Studio in Hamburg. There is definite cinematic potential here too. We could imagine On My Way soundtracking the emotional breakthrough of The Pursuit of Happyness, the resilience and self-discovery of Billy Elliot, or a coming-of-age sequence in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It could also work beautifully within The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Rocky, Good Will Hunting, or TV shows such as Ted Lasso, This Is Us and One Tree Hill.
Needless to say, we connect deeply with the authenticity, instrumental musicianship and emotional trajectory of On My Way, and have added the track to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we anticipate future releases from QUINTESSE and KARL JOSEF. QUINTESSE is available on social media @QuintesseMusic across all channels.