I often wonder about the origins of words, how they came into being and how they’ve changed or taken on greater meaning over time. The word ‘craft‘ in Old English relates to “power, physical strength, might”, it was also used to denote a small boat, linked to the former meaning by the skill or seamanship they required to be handled at sea. You can use the same analogy with song writing or ‘songcraft’. Some artists build immense sonic movements to convey their lyrics while others, like those small crafts, take on the power of the oceans with less grand gestures, making subtle almost micro-shifts to steer their songs to the listener.
Musically, I’ve always had an appreciation for the smaller crafts…there is a deeper skill at play in delivering a song and there’s a depth to their music that stays with you long after the song has ended. I can think of many that have made their stamp on generations that followed including Sandy Denny, Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen.
One songwriter that fell under Cohen’s spell is Luca Wilding. Raised in Greater London, it was his discovery of Cohen’s music that inspired him to take up his pen and to write songs. After hearing his latest single Ruby, Don’t Cry, you can appreciate that same rich songcraft at play. His striking falsetto shines brightly throughout, behind which are some beautiful small musical flourishes, there is a considered restraint throughout and the most delicate of faded endings, matching the emotion of the song, a tragic tale of a woman’s shackled beauty, desperate to break free from darker days.
Luca Wilding on the inspiration behind the song:
Some time ago, I met a girl on a train. We spoke for a little while, she sketched in my notepad and over a brief journey told my friend that she was unhappy. There was something very singular and strong about her, something leonine. I just couldn’t imagine her wasting away with no direction in a loveless relationship. That night, I imagined her being swept off her feet by a beautiful stranger and telling her partner she was leaving him. The defiance in her face, the sadness in his. The thing I love most about this song is I have no idea who this person is, and I probably never will. I imagined this world of liberation for her, in which strength and inner beauty are rewarded with freedom.
Wilding’s previous two singles, ‘Johanna’ and ‘Heartachers’ have already garnered him well-deserved praise and the stunning short film by award-winning filmmaker Patrick Fileti that accompanied the latter added weight to his already powerful song.
Like his songs, and those small crafts I mentioned at the beginning, Wilding’s are considered releases, each lovingly crafted and constructed. If he continues like this, his audience is sure to rapidly grow, and deservedly so. A new storyteller in the making.
TO FIND LUCA WILDING ONLINE, PLEASE VISIT:
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Photo Credit: John Ogunmuyiwa