An Beautifully Honest New Single From Claire Sully
A beautifully approached and incredibly honest new single from Claire Sully delivers a lot of robust personality as the track expresses such deep inner thought and emotion in such a wonderfully articulate manner, to the point where you definitely connect with it as the song unfolds.
Claire took a different approach with this track and brought it into a contemporary pop format, but I think that the more experimental side is these sections in the song that are like voicemails.
There are three or four throughout the track, and they explain more of the story behind everything in such a personal way. She portrays voicemails left for that person. The person that she lost.
"Butterfly On My Skin" is a gorgeous piece of work that definitely feels like it's about heartbreak, to an extent. It feels like losing someone in any fashion. The emotions and feelings that you go through when you either lose touch with someone, lose someone in a relationship, or worse, are many.
This song goes through the emotional gamut of that loss very well. You definitely have the selling and sadness, you have some acceptance, and more. They come up as the song plays through in the order that you would feel them naturally.
This must be a song that hit hard for her. This is something she needed to get off her chest, and she decided to take the root of her music to do exactly that.
This is why it works so well. It's completely authentic, and the detail in the lyrics, along with the voicemail sections, is beautifully done, because it humanizes her and lets us remember that in life, we have relationships, and in those relationships, there's going to be struggle, heartbreak, or issues.
I think that the song is about dealing with those issues or struggles and finding out more about who you are through it.
At the start, she is heartbroken, she misses the person, and is kind of questioning why it all had to go that way. By the end of the song, she's more accepted and just appreciative and grateful for the times that she did have with that person.
These are the attributes that make the song so relatable and connective. A lot of us have been through something like that, and it's good to hear a song like this that has such a great detail in heart behind it, simply because at times, we just don't want to feel like we are alone.
No one wants to feel like they're alone in their loss or that only their life has these kinds of issues and problems.
So, it's amazing to hear a song that sends the message from such a vulnerable perspective, and does so wholeheartedly and with this brilliant level of bravery and detail that really puts you in the moment with the song.
The single is definitely catchy, has some amazing vocal hooks that fall right in line with today's radio-friendly pop approach, and I love that she always holds that pop sensibility close, even when being so vulnerable.
I don't think that's an easy thing to do.
She definitely thought about how the song would unfold and the arrangement of everything, making sure she got that message and emotion across, all the while keeping it pop-oriented, catchy, and incredibly memorable.
The song grows in terms of its lusciousness and instrumentation as it plays through, bringing in orchestrated strings, a sort of heavy-handed classic pop beat, and vocal harmonies that add more depth and layers to the already texture-rich soundscape.
This is a song that definitely speaks volumes for an artist who isn't afraid to put pieces of herself into her music, and I think a lot of people deserve to hear this track because of that robust and raw emotional value that it gives off. Again, mostly because we can connect with it on such a deep level.
Upon listening to the single, I knew I wanted to sit down with Claire to find out exactly where the song came from. I also wanted to know what may be coming up next for the artist and what kind of music she's listening to these days.
So, while you listen to this single, have a read through of our interview with Claire Sully below, and don't miss this track.
Where did this song come from and what was it about?
Butterfly On My Skin was inspired by a fragrance literally titled Butterfly, and it was a fragrance that carries the scent of someone I was and continue to be close with to this day. I think in relationships of any sort, wether it be romanic or platonic, scent plays a very big role as it holds memories, and nostalgia. I wanted this song to paint a picture of what my relationship dynamic felt like last year. A year ago I found myself in a platonic relationship that carried beauty and challenges, and with the challenges came a period of separation, so during that time, one of the things that kept those memories alive, was the fragrance. I also wanted to touch and highlight that feelings and emotions linger on scents, and I felt like this song did a good job capturing what needed to be expressed at that challenging period of my life at the time.
I am hearing a few different styles on this single. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
My biggest musical influences range from Britney Spears, Tate Mcrae, Dolly Parton, Ella Langley, Kelsea Ballerini and Miley Cyrus. Those women carry a lot of influence in the music industry, creatively and lyrically for me. I like to grab inspiration from each one of those artists and put it into my songs, whether it be sound, or similar writing styles etc..
Are you performing live right now?
As of right now, I’ve been releasing more music and collaborating with other artists trying to finish up a few music projects. Once that’s all complete, I’ll be looking to perform live again as it’s been quite a bit since I’ve stepped on stage!
How did this all start for you as a songwriter?
Growing up, I found that I was an empath. I connected so heavily with people. I was able to relate with people’s experiences and I was able to feel other people’s emotions intensely. With that, I always knew that I was a story teller. Music found me at such a young age, and songwriting became an outlet for me when I couldn’t express things I was too scared too. I wrote my first real song around 17 and the rest is history. Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to write songs with Warner Music Group/ Chappell affiliates, American Idol contestants, GRAMMY & Billboard producers, and bring those lyrics in my head to life to create hit songs that fans are able to connect with.
Did you work with a producer on this album, or was this all you?
For a majority of this EP that’s set to release this spring, I worked with my producer Conner Hilman, who produced Butterfly On My Skin, and I’m also working with Jonah Waxman. It’s a nice balance, Conner produces the more ballad and nostalgic songs with more feeling and emotion, and Jonah produces the more upbeat and dance like songs, which we will be releasing next! Stay on the look out, it’s called “Midnight Sports Car”
What are you performing on the single?
On this single, I did all the vocal work from layered harmonies, the undertone hums you hear, the hooks, everything that’s vocal, that’s me. The instruments in the song, were all studio captured and put together by Conner when I gave him my vision of what I wanted this song to sound like.
What's next for you? Working on more new releases?
I’m finishing up my EP titled (Read My Heart), I have 2 more songs left to write and record and then we’re set to release sometime very soon this Spring! I’ve released a few slow songs, so I’m currently working on the upbeat fun ones next! Midnight Sports Car is the next song to come out!
What kind of advice would you give to other up and coming songwriters or artists trying to get heard?
My advice to any upcoming artists and songwriters would be, build your catalog of songs, network, create as much music as you can, collaborate with as many creatives to get your name out, and have fun in the process. I think a lot of us in the music industry are so focused on the next big thing. As independent artists, we’re grinding so much and days off don’t really exist, so my other piece of advice is, once your song is out in the world, take a minute to celebrate that. My sister tells me that all the time. Take a moment to smile, be proud of your work, the people you worked with, and go treat yourself.
What would you say people can expect to hear on this track?
Fans will be expected to hear a more stripped down version of me. When I’m vulnerable in my songs, I like to express that in my releases with country acoustic guitars, spoken verses or lines that have effects that make you a little bit emotional. In this case, I have spoken pre chorus’s to add a little bit of feeling. I also have layered and harmonized hums underneath that give the listener a touch of soul as well.
Before we go, what would you want to express to fans of the music?
I’d love to give my sincerest thank you and share my gratitude towards my fans. I’ve had a lot of you with me on this amazing musical journey for the last 10 years, and with this, I’ve been able to do so much and also gain new fans. All this means a great deal to me. Thank you for acknowledging my hard work, engaging and sending me such kind messages. Thank you for letting me share my stories, and giving me the space and platform to do what I love with my entire being. Stay connected and ready, it’s time to get up and move…. Midnight Sports Car out soon! :)
