The Sea at Midnight: Burning
The Sea At Midnight is making waves
by Jack Rush
The Sea At Midnight, hailing from Los Angeles, United States, is making waves with their original single "Burning." Led by songwriter Vince Grant, the project features a collaboration with Marco Cattani of Chemical Waves, infusing a rock sound with emotional intensity. The artist's journey towards this release has been driven by a passion for addressing climate change, culminating in the creation of a powerful track that resonates with listeners. Released on 8th November 2024, "Burning" stands out as a unique musical offering that delves into urgent global issues, showcasing The Sea At Midnight's distinctive style and impactful storytelling.
Marco Cattani's musical inspiration and the pressing themes of climate change influenced the creation of The Sea At Midnight's single, "Burning." With a raw and aggressive personality, the track captures the emotional turmoil of our current environmental crises. The song's profound lyrics call for action and awareness, urging listeners to confront the challenges posed by climate change from both a human and critical perspective. Released on 8th November 2024, "Burning" delivers a compelling message through its powerful sound structure, solidifying The Sea At Midnight's significance in the music scene as they boldly tackle crucial global issues.
Q & A with Vince Grant
Tell us about the key contributors to this project.
Marco Cattani of Chemical Waves initially approached me in 2020 after he heard my first single "Medicine" on a radio show we were both featured and wanted to know if I'd be interested in writing the lyrics for and singing on one of his tracks. I said sure, let me see if I can come up with anything you might like. He then sent me the music for a track which would eventually become "Statues" that I wrote the lyrics for and sang on and is featured on the Chemical Waves album "Lasting Forever" which was released in 2020. Then in 2022 he reached out once more and asked if I'd like to collaborate on another track and he sent me the music for the song which became "Burning". Once again I contributed lyrics and sang and the original version appears on his 2022 Chemical Waves album "II (Emotional Violence)". Over the past year I'd written a few songs about climate change, "Wait For Rain" and "Chopping Them Down", that I'd released as singles and was also working on a few other songs lyrically The Sea At Midnight - Burning. Page 1/3 dealing with the effects and consequences of climate change. Then I had the idea I'd like to put out an EP centered around climate change and thought "Burning" would be a good fit, so I asked Marco if he'd mind if I did my own version of the song. He gave it his blessing, so I went in the studio with producer Chris King of Cold Showers, who has produced all The Sea At Midnight releases, and we did our own version of "Burning" in which I also added an additional verse to the original version. Then I asked my friend Ryan Thomas Mitchell from the band Ruin The Mind if he would do a cover for it, which I think turned out amazing. Ryan is super has talented and has done all the graphics and covers for The Sea At Midnight since its inception.
Who influenced this release?
Marco Cattani of Chemical Waves was the musical inspiration of "Burning" as he wrote the musical piece. Lyrically the inspiration is living on this planet during climate change and all the upheaval and havoc it is leaving in its wake.
What's the story behind this release?
Climate change is both the story and global happening behind this release.
Tell us what makes this release stand out and why it's significant
"Burning" is about climate change and I have not heard many songs (if any?) dealing with this subject, which frankly is very strange since it is literally the most important story of our time. Just yesterday we were told the North Pole is moving, so I think the importance of this song speaks for itself.
Do you have any recent or upcoming performances to highlight?
Have been playing around the greater Los Angeles area the past year.
Could you share a memorable quote about this release or your journey as an artist?
Review from R+ - “Burning” The American band The Sea At Midnight presents the single "Burning", in collaboration with Chemical Waves. This song develops within a musical universe framed in Rock, standing out for a strong, aggressive and raw personality that highlights the emotional and expressive intensity of its narrative. The topic forcefully addresses climate change, offering a deep and urgent reflection. With lyrics that raise our voices out of empathy towards our communities, “Burning” also uses its rawness to capture the current climate crises in a shocking way, inviting action and awareness. Its powerful sound structure reinforces the message, connecting powerfully with listeners and consolidating itself as a call to face environmental challenges from both a human and critical perspective. "Still our leaders lie/ Fake smiles and they keep pretending/ Turn a callused eye /To suffering and people weeping/ No conscience in their hearts/ Deny to us the climate’s changing /Who’ll be next in line In this catastrophe we’re making" Review from LUMINOUS DASH - “Burning” The world is burning The Sea At Midnight - Burning. Page 2/3 and Vince Grant wrote about it under his musical alias The Sea At Midnight. A somberly beautiful post-punk track. Slow and full of emotions. The drums tap into every feeling and the melodic chorus sings of the despair of a planet that - literally and figuratively - is in danger of going up in flames. “Look into the night We can see the trees are burning Darkened skies outside You can sense the weather turning From a satellite They can see the ice retreating Standing everywhere You can feel the earth is heating” Climate change due to human actions, sung about in a compelling way. Review from OBSCURE SOUND - “Burning” Balancing passion and introspection within its synth-touched rock sound, “Burning” is a gripping new track from The Sea At Midnight, the project of Los Angeles-based songwriter Vince Grant. Also featuring Chemical Waves, “Burning” envelops in its emotional rock unfolding and heartfelt lyrical depicitons. A sense of atmosphere is palpable from the get-go, as the vocals proclaim “the skies are ablaze, as we stare into the night,” amidst starry-eyed synth buzzing and atmospheric guitar escalations. “Look into the night, we can see the trees are burning,” the vocals attain an emotively charged invigoration, culminating in crisply soaring guitar work — re emerging with grandiose enthrallment at the mid-point. “Burning” is a stellar soundscape heavy rock success from The Sea At Midnight and Chemical Waves. Review form EXPANSION RADIAL - “Burning” With a deep sound full of textures, The Sea At Midnight presents Burning, a song that mixes alternative style with touches of new wave. This song, produced by Chris King (Cold Showers) and performed by Vince Grant, immerses us in an enveloping and emotional atmosphere, reinforced by the collaboration of Chemical Waves. The lyrics of Burning are a powerful wake-up call to climate change and its devastating consequences. From the opening lines, "The skies are ablaze as we stare into the night," The Sea At Midnight paints an apocalyptic panorama, where humanity faces the ravages of its own negligence. Images of melting glaciers and overflowing rivers reflect a world on the brink of collapse. In lines like, "Look into the night, we can see the trees are burning," he conveys an urgency that leaves no room for indifference. But what really hits is the criticism of leaders who ignore this crisis, encapsulated in verses like "Still our leaders lie, fake smiles and they keep pretending." The song is a protest that demands action and responsibility. Musically, Burning is a journey that grows in intensity with each measure. The deep nuances of Vince Grant's voice combined with the instrumental layers create a hypnotic atmosphere that doesn't let go. The relaxed rhythm moves steadily forward, adding a subtle tension that perfectly complements the song's message. With "Burning" The Sea At Midnight has created a song that combines emotion, social criticism and a captivating style.
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