Even at a time when we all like to talk about how life has paused due to the pandemic, the day continues to speed by at a breakneck pace — we’re constantly bombarded with news, events, fears, concerns, commitments and all the countless things that line our daily lives, turning days into weeks and weeks into months without ever really having a chance to catch our breath.
Karen Harding, the Australian singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who today (May 7) releases her gorgeous debut single “I Didn’t Realise,” seems to have an ability to slow down the day, to let her music create a mental timeout from the chaos and the bustle, allowing us a few moments of peace as her compositions and voice speak to the soul. “I Didn’t Realise” is an enchanting, atmospheric ballad about a breakup, but it’s also the type of art that stands out as a respite from whatever is haunting us at that particular moment. It gives pause, at a time when we so desperately need it most.
“I see music as a way to really express what cannot be expressed in general conversation, and as a way to really connect with others on an emotional and spiritual level,” Harding tells Blender magazine this week. “We can all speak different languages, live in different cultures, and have different beliefs and values, but we basically share basic needs and feelings. Music is an opportunity to connect us at this level.”
At its core, “I Didn’t Realise” is a song about healing, and a longing for a true sense of connection. And whether we’re experiencing a breakup or not, or just attempting to move on from something to better our sense of self, that’s a theme we can all carry with us as we navigate this emotionally intense time to be alive.