Song Review - Karen Harding -Anxiety
REVIEW BY: JADE GUIDA
Following the success of her first two releases, I Didn’t Realise and I Heard Somebody Talking, Karen Harding is about to drop a third perfectly crafted song in “Anxiety”. The newest release by Harding is quite a change from the previous two pieces. This soulful and emotional song explores its namesake title by delving into the emotional state and journey experienced trough the last two years of the Covid 19 Pandemic.
This song is an epic saga of emotion.
The track had wonderful modernist harmony but with sophistication and well beyond Harding’s years and experience.
This song had heart.
This song had soul.
This song had absolutely everything you would hope for in a homage to Covid related stressors.
The real joy of this song was how fresh it felt on every listen. Each play through revealed a new layer of meaning and intensity. I kept going back for more, the song is as enticing as your favorite dessert. This song was a rare gem to come out of Covid. While there have been countless releases chronicling the struggle and emotional tribulations of lockdowns and a global pandemic this is a cut above the rest.
This song is the glistening diamond of 2021.
The track is aimed at starting a conversation surrounding the very real challenges that many people face in their experience of Anxiety. The discussion is designed to acknowledge the experiences that many are facing with Anxiety, during and post Covid-19 lockdowns and to provide some tools to help them move through these challenges.
“So many of us are affected by anxiety every day and Covid-19 has only heightened these experiences. For me, anxiety has been a real challenge, however, has become something that I have been able to learn and grow through.. I want to share my experience of anxiety through the song and to open up some discussion in the hope that someone can discover a sense of peace”
Mixed and Mastered by producer, Joshua Hennessy, the track was born out of Covid-19 lockdowns and being unable to get into the studio to record an EP that had been planned. Karen began the recording process of this track and then worked very closely with Joshua Hennessy to create the sound that you currently hear in the single.
Karen was raised, surrounded by the sounds of a plethora of classic and deep, emotive artists, such as Leonard Cohen, Tracy Chapman, Bonnie Rait and Sarah McLaughlin, just to name a few, Karen always had an incredible passion and love for everything music.
She began to play the piano at the age of 6 and began formal singing lessons at the age of 14. At the age of 21, Karen was in a cover duo, playing around Melbourne for many years. These gave her the foundations which are the basis of her current musical Journey.
Every single person who is currently breathing the air on this planet, longs for a deep sense of connection.. to feel like they belong and relate to those who surround them.
For Melbourne, Australia based artist, Karen Harding, music is not only an outlet for expression of her feelings and emotions, drawn from a lifetime of experiences.. music is a soul conversation, that allows the masks that we hide behind to fall away for a moment of sharing.. a moment of mutual understanding.. in a language that does not discriminate in any form.
To picture the sound of Karen Harding’s music, imagine for a moment.. you are sitting outdoors at a private, casual tea party.. it’s early in the morning and there is still a thin layer of fog lining the ground and the sun is just beginning to break for the first morning light. While sipping our tea, we are joined by guests, Sarah McLaughlin, Sara Barielles and Eva Cassidy and comparing stories about the depths of life.
Music has always been a part of Karen’s life, learning piano from the age of 6, beginning singing lessons from the age of 14 and more recently learning to play the guitar.
Throughout the years, Karen has played at many cafes and bars around the north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, in a combination of solo, duo and band performances, that have contributed to the sound that you hear today.
Her true love of the art comes from the creativity of writing her own music.
