Sadness Sets Me Free

Album: Sadness Sets Me Free (2024)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Sadness Sets Me Free" is a honky-tonk lament about the hollowness of first-world comfort. Gruff Rhys' lyrics dig deep, confessing a yearning to break free from "vain and selfish ways."
  • This introspective journey is both the opening and title track of Rhys' eighth album. It seems the weight of experience has brought a newfound focus.

    "'Sadness Sets Me Free' is a very singable title, so I just let that do the heavy lifting to start with," he told Uncut magazine. "As I get older, I feel it's more important to respect music's power to uplift and that tells you what you need to do."
  • Sadness Sets Me Free was recorded in three days in March 2022 at La Frette Studios, a 19th century house on the outskirts of Paris.
  • Rhys co-produced the album with Maxime Kosinetz, a sound engineer he met while working with Algerian desert rock outfit Imarhan.

    "Maxime knows how to record intimate vocals," he told The Sun. "I didn't have to shout and I could be restrained and understated as a singer. He could handle me almost whispering."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" Album

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" AlbumSong Writing

In the summer of 1990, you could get arrested for selling a 2 Live Crew album or performing their songs in Southern Florida. And that's exactly what happened.

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song Titles

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song TitlesMusic Quiz

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have some rather unusual song titles - see if you can spot the real ones.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.