PREMIERE | simmcat, "Always"
Garden meditations with Simona Catalani, aka simmcat; press photo courtesy of the artist.
Beneath the actions and entanglements that comprise the chapters of life, the inner exchanges and negotiations that we make with ourselves. Inside the palaces of our consciousness we confront ourselves and examine the epistemological origin trails of our states of the union. The dance and dialogue that takes place from within is something of a shadow play to the outside engagements we have with our fellow folks and environments. Our processes journal out our deepest fears, the doubts that arise and the roots of those lines of investigative thought. On our own we naturally our own worst critics, internalizing many of the things that should be let go of or cast aside in the name of our more accurate self-assessments. But in these battles that we have with ourselves we can find manners of cognitively expressing the messiness we find in our own hearts & minds.
On the heels of soaring through the existential expanses on the lifted head spaces of “What is Real”, simmcat ventures deep into the heartlands of vulnerability on “Always”. The moniker of Italian artist Simona Catalani shares a sweet swaying string dream from the upcoming album I Heard She Lost You slated for March 7 on WWNBB that follows up the debut Thought I Was Dreaming. Catalani carefully weaves chamber chansons that move from the deepest senses of the soul and into the uncharted outer realms.
"Always" pulls the listener into the undertow at the deep end of introspection in excess. Simona embarks upon the unconscious terrain where personal processing of a lost relationship gives rise to the questioning if we are lovable amid the internalized debates over whether the problem was them or us. A melancholy and heartsick ballad that could have not arrived sooner as the Valentine’s holiday descends upon us: “Always” surveys the emotive and spiritual landscapes that are left behind when the amour arrives at an unceremonious end. The tropes of love and loss are exhibited at odds in a therapeutic lamentation that connects to all who have found themselves in spiraling sessions of reckoning in the wake of a bond that never was meant to be.
Exploring angst and amour with simmcat, aka Simona Catalani; press photo courtesy of the artist.
The message of simmcat’s “Always” is an ode to loving yourself, exploring the inhospitable fallows of second guessing ourselves and our own self-worth. The unsung undertone is that we are all worthy of love, the love that starts with loving ourselves, appreciating the love that others show us, even when things fall apart, and when they workout in ways that spark a wonder far beyond the dream boards of our imaginations and desire. Simona takes the listener on a journey of heart, a journey to repair what feels broken and hurt, seeking a center and solace to trade tears for beaming plumes of light.
Reflecting in the sunlight with simmcat; press photo courtesy of the artist.
Simona Catalani, aka simmcat, offered some thoughts on the new single “Always”:
“Always” talks about the idea of being the wrong person, and often feeling inadequate to be chosen, until we realize that this suspicion comes from within.
Finding the floral fancies of love and light with Simona Catalani, aka simmcat; press photo courtesy of the artist.
This song signifies a time of change and growth. There will also be a videoclip, filmed during the days of recording in San Francisco; it was my first time in the United States and I have been welcomed by incredible people and beautiful places. In many ways that time spent in the Bay Area marks a new beginning and “Always” is its soundtrack.
The new simmcat album I Heard She Lost You arrives March 7 on WWNBB.
Catch simmcat at SXSW this March.