Sorting through 100’s of music submissions a week can be daunting and tedious, but when you find those gems, it really is a treat. So when we uncovered this absolutely stunning video premiere from Frankie Sunswept called “Turning Toward Me,” we jumped on it real quick. You may know Frankie Sunswept best from his work with Crushed Out, who we adored in the early days of P&W, and with their catchy songs and scintillating live-shows, NYC loved them. Fast forward a few years and Frankie is carving out a blossoming solo career and with songs like “Turning Toward Me,” it won’t be long before he’s selling out clubs on his own.
“Turning Toward Me” starts with rhythmic guitar plucking, then shortly after adds a comforting slide guitar, which creates a meandering and airy path for the rest of the track to flourish. When all the instruments hit, the tempo quickens and the bass comes to the front all while Frankie’s vocals dance around the notes which creates a psychedelic effect that we can’t get enough of. While the track itself is dreamy and warm, when you pair it with the incredible video that was taken one early morning in the Rockaways, it becomes a total piece of art and one of 2020’s best videos. If you dig this track, then we have good news as Frankie Sunswept is releasing his debut, self-titled album on 1-16-21.
Frankie Sunswept
“Turning Toward Me’ is a song I wrote at a time of great personal change, and the first song I completed for what would become this album. Turning is at once a love song to the sun, and an observation on our human reactions to cycles of light and darkness. The character has found light, rejoices, goes through the fear of losing it, only to arrive at the understanding that he has confused a sunrise for the sun.
When layering the song I allowed myself to be more cinematic than I’d ever been, constructing the song’s arch to fit the cycle of a whole day and back into dawn. When imagining the video I saw Fort Tilden’s hilltops for the look, as I spend much time out there and regularly surf in the Rockaways. Kimberly Haven and Sergio Carrasco helped bring my ideas to life, and brought many ideas of their own. We got up at 3am to capture Fort Tilden at dawn, and it was such a beautiful experience to shoot as the sun came up. While shooting the scene at the hilltop, I looked out to the sea and saw a pod of dolphins leaping in the water. Sergio had just set up a drone, and was able to fly out there and capture them! Kimberly Haven’s editing and hand drawn lettering for the title card have brought this project to such a beautiful height.” – Frankie Sunswept
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