Local musician and producer Cole Collins’ newest singles, “SOMEDAYS” and “Solar Reprise,” show him returning to writing and releasing music with renewed fervor after a hiatus.
The artist found himself with more availability during the pandemic to revisit old projects he left unfinished .
“It just gave me an unbelievable amount of time to start working on stuff,” Collins said. “I would say that yes, it was the catalyst for my music kind of taking off again. I had never given up on anything, it was just like, life got in the way, and then all of the sudden I had so much free time. I really got back into it and really fell in love with it again.”
His first release this year, “SOMEDAYS,” is an indie track laden with pop undertones. Piano adds a contemplative mood, while echoey vocals lend an ethereal quality. Thematically, the song is a representation of the peaks and valleys of the human experience — things can be going swimmingly, but the next thing you know, one mistake, and everything turns to turmoil.
“The theme of ‘SOMEDAYS’ is the tension between two things: The ideal path for your life and those who are in it; and the human inability to ever consistently uphold such a standard. The first section of the song is supposed to paint a picture of building up a bright, hopeful, utopian-like future, and then the chorus is the hard let down of reality setting in. But I mess it up some days.”
“SOMEDAYS” emphasizes the idea that as long as we are human, we are going to make mistakes, and we are unable to get through things alone. It is also a testament to his own religious faith. While some listeners might think “SOMEDAYS” is a love song, the track is reiterating the human need to rely on a higher power. For Collins, that is the God of the Bible.
His other release, “Solar Reprise,” is slightly more uplifting, conceptually. Collins wrote the song after a quarantine stroll outside, and the lyrics center around the idea of the sun.
“I was walking around outside one day, and I got the tune stuck in my head, and wrote a song about the sun and humanity under the sun — and how the sun has illuminated the exact same spaces in the exact same way for all of humanity for all time, for every great and simple mind.”
Sonically, the track is bright and melodic, allowing Collins’ gentle yet powerful vocals to shine. Synth riffs add a playful, dreamy aura while rhythmic drum kicks keep the pace.
Collins intends to continue putting out singles, rather than a full album, because he feels that it gives listeners a better chance to absorb and appreciate each song.
“I’ve decided to do singles because you can promote each song a little bit better.”
Be on the lookout for a new EP later this year.
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