Exclusive Premiere: A World Renewed in The Violet Hum’s “Rainbow Song”
The Violet Hum, a new moniker for a man that’s no stranger to music, seems to be more musical acrobat than human in his debut. Multi-instrumentalist Matt Arthur is the man behind the hum, and his first song as a solo artist “Rainbow Song” is a clear, crisp burst of rock euphoria. The track starts off with a silky guitar and a wailing bid to meet the angels during “the worst monsoon in history.” The lyrics continue to reflect that of a poem from some modern tragedy, a love story between a man and the living, breathing world. Arthur says it’s a song he hopes conveys messages of optimism and open-mindedness.
As the song progresses, layers pile on evenly, bringing instrumental depth to the emotional lyrics with acoustic guitar riffs and a melancholy drum beat. As it progresses, the song diverges from its pure ethereal state and levels into a more prominent and intense sound, full of stark imagery and honesty. The soft rock sounds meshes into a more progressive rock-led structure later in the tune, and the influences of Neil Young and George Harrison are clear in the strum of a weary chorus of twangy guitars. It’s modern-day classic rock, and these six minutes bring listeners down a great wave of sonic exploration, a search for a home with a revitalized perspective.
The track, which will be the closing song on the upcoming EP, was written, produced, recorded, and mixed solely by Arthur. The Violet Hum’s promised debut EP will be called How to Swim and is set to release later in March. This solo endeavor is a new gig for Arthur as his previous projects have all been collaborations, like his work with The Coo and The Arthur Brothers. In early 2020, he decided to start producing music on his own terms, bringing home an eclectic assortment of gadgets for his home studio. And with the pandemic, he had all the time he wanted to find his own sound. In that way, “Rainbow Song” reflects a lot of Arthur’s own life, one that’s being renewed through musical discovery.
While constructing the music for The Violet Hum, Arthur began finding a “deep artistic satisfaction in the process of expressing himself in the purest sense.” It was shortly after that he finalized his first EP How To Swim. You can listen to acoustic versions of those upcoming tracks here.
Arthur says about the approaching release, “I’m afraid the EP itself offers very little in terms of practical swimming advice. But, I’m proud of the songs anyway. I dedicate it to everyone who has ever felt ‘all at sea’, which to be fair is probably everyone these last few years”. Before we get to experience the entirety of How to Swim for ourselves, listen to the track “Rainbow Song” below:
