Love Brought Weight

Album: Old Sea Brigade (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Old Sea Brigade is Ben Cramer, who after graduating from the University of Miami, started recording in 2015 after he moved to Atlanta. In high school, Old Sea Brigade was the name of his band; he used it because he felt his real name was too generic.

    "Love Brought Weight" was his first single, filled with the ethereal textures that defined his early work. Lyrically, it's heavy stuff, as he sings, "Love brought weight to this heart of mine."

    "The song's about loving someone and knowing it can't last forever," he told Femme Riot. "That feeling of emotionally investing yourself in something or someone and knowing that this can/will hurt you eventually, but also knowing that the fear of it not lasting forever makes your relationships more meaningful."
  • This was the first song Old Sea Brigade recorded. He put it together with producer Jeremy Griffith along with five other songs that formed his first LP.
  • "Love Brought Weight" caught fire on Spotify when it was included on a number of playlists, including "Lush & Atmospheric," "The Most Beautiful Songs In The World," and "Your Favorite Coffeehouse." It amassed over 45 million streams.
  • Old Sea Brigade had to conquer his fear of performing when he released this song, so he hit the open-mic nights at Eddie's Attic and the Red Light Cafe in Atlanta. "I was used to being on stage and booking shows, but I was terrified of singing and talking to a crowd," he said on the Songfacts Podcast in 2021. "Because of that fear, I went to these open-mic nights to try and get more comfortable.

    It terrified me to do this and it still does at times. I know that if I'm going to be able to get these songs out in the world, I have to be able to sing and play them for people. I have a way that I can connect with people through my voice, but it's not a technically great voice. I was never naturally a singer but always tried to write the best songs I could and tried to connect with people that way."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Divided Souls: Musical Alter Egos

Divided Souls: Musical Alter EgosSong Writing

Long before Eminem, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj created alternate personas, David Bowie, Bono, Joni Mitchell and even Hank Williams took on characters.

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.