Sunday Song is the new single from LA singer-songwriter James Houlahan off of his forthcoming LP The Wheel Still in Spin. Produced by Fernando Perdomo (Linda Perhacs, Jakob Dylan), this record is simultaneously forlorn as it is warm and enveloping. Perdomo also handles bass and keyboards on the record, and features Danny Frankel (Lou Reed, Fiona Apple, Nels Cline) on percussion and drums. Houlahan’s girlfriend, accomplished talent Esther Clark, can also be heard as background vocalist throughout the album.
Listen to “Sunday Song”, an acoustic folk ballad accented by harmonica and a healthy dose of reverb and clever, ethereal percussion. Houlahan’s vocal prowess is front and centre here–wailing amidst a touch of reverb evoking feelings of being lost and alone in the night with no company other than one’s own thoughts.
A native of Concord, Mass., Houlahan’s story is a typically American tale of dream-seeking. He started playing the piano at 8 years old, switching to guitar in his teens. He sharpened his craft in the basement for years before he felt comfortable performing, and it wasn’t until his 20s that he began playing his music in front of crowds. While living in Boston in the mid-aughts, he played lead guitar in a few rock bands, but eventually knew he couldn’t let his solo work go unheard. “I realized that if I didn’t sing my songs nobody else would,” Houlahan says. He released his first solo effort Misfit Hymns in 2012 before relocating to Los Angeles and releasing Multitudes in 2016.
James Houlahan on Sunday Song
1. What is this song about?
This song is about being in a relationship with a lover where it’s just not working out. On the surface, things might seem fine. But deep down all those gut-level voices are saying otherwise. I think the song is basically just a reflection of what those inner voices are trying to say. Trying to describe the growing distance between two people, how one can feel alone while still with another person. And yet that feeling of also wishing that other person well, despite the circumstances. A peaceful kind of sorrow. Resolved to the inevitable distance, but still grateful somehow.
2. Who/what were some influences when it came to writing the song?
I’ve always admired Neil Young for the way he can write about old love, about relationships weathering the vicissitudes of time. So I definitely think that’s an influence here. But then there’s probably a bit of Neil in most anything I write. He’s basically my spiritual grandfather. Or something like that.
3. Any interesting stories from writing/recording this one?
Initially, the song was at a slower tempo, if you can believe that. But for this record, we sped it up a little, and I think that emphasizes the hopeful part of the song a bit more. That aspect of resolve to move forward, to stay in motion.
The Wheel Still in Spin is out Sept. 21.
Find out more: https://jameshoulahan.com/
Photo Credit: Esther Clark