Harkness says “Ciao To The Beauty” with his new single
Canadian alt-rocker Harkness has unveiled his new single, “Ciao To The Beauty,” which is the title track from his forthcoming album, Ciao To The Beauty. The single dips and ducks around 60s flair while incorporating modern alternative rock and exciting musical experimentation.
“Many years ago, I went on a solo trip to Brazil on holiday,” says Harkness. “The gorgeous environment and the open, joyful character of the people had a profound effect on me — as did the fantastic local music that seemed to always be playing in the open air.
“I would stroll aimlessly for hours finding cool percussion instruments to buy while soaking up what felt like so much explosive energy all around me,” Harkness continues. “One of the peak moments was my visit to Falls de Iguazu where hundreds of waterfalls can be seen, heard, and felt to your very core.
“It was there that ‘Ciao To The Beauty’ was born.”
Harkeness’ debut LP, The Occasion, officially arrived in August of 2021 and his newest project is slated for March of 2023; two four-song strong EPs are expected in the lead-up to next year’s full-length project.
“The song celebrates beauty and hints at the question ‘Why do we feel the need for an abundance of possessions and assets in order to find happiness.’?” explains Harkness: “It suggests that all we could ever want is ours if we just stop to embrace what is already right in front of us. ‘Ciao to the Beauty’ encourages the listener to recognize the destructive tendencies of a self-centered existence. The lyrics go as far as to say, ‘Look up at the sky, kiss yourself goodbye’ to encourage a whole new perspective to live by.”
Listen to “Ciao To The Beauty” below, and find out more about Harkness via our mini-interview.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello, I am Harkness, a Canadian songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who spent decades working on dozens of never-before-released songs in my home studio.
My intricate compositions incorporate a variety of musical instruments such as tuba, steel drums, bassoon, harp, and marimba to list a few along with lots of vocal harmonies. I am a firm believer in the collaborative spirit of music making and refuse to rely on machines or music samples, working with real musicians playing real instruments to create lush, evocative, and deeply human sonic soundscapes – all with a fresh modern Pop aesthetic. Having labored for years over my multi-instrumental psychedelic one-man show, I am now taking my life’s work out of the basement and into international concert halls
What’s the best part of living in Toronto, ON?
The multi-cultural aspect of living in Toronto is absolutely Wonderful. I am a huge food lover and no other city in the world offers such a wide variety of expertly prepared cuisines. Musically it is equally rich and diverse and I find the artistic community here very warm and hugely cooperative. The general spirit of the Toronto people is extremely open and friendly. I can’t say enough good things about living here.
Tell me more about the documentary being filmed?
A chance meeting with the incredibly talented director Masha began with a short 5-minute film detailing a little bit about my life and my musical practice. On the strength of that piece, the project has blossomed into a feature-length film that is now being produced by Storyline Entertainment and supported by the CBC documentary channel. We have been filming my artistic journey and all of its struggles and victories since late 2019 and hope to film until the end of 2022.
Who was the first artist to knock you sideways?
There have been many including people like The Beatles, Brian Wilson, Stravinsky, Miles Davis, Pat Metheny, and Jaco Pastorious but I think it was Prince who really blew my mind. The fact that he was a one-man musical dynamo able to play all of the instruments, write incredible arrangements, and also record and mix it all himself was awe-inducing and probably the very biggest influence and inspiration to me and my work.
What’s the one album by a Canadian artist that everyone should have in their collection?
One album by a Canadian artist that everyone should have is Joni Mitchell’s Hejira. The songwriting and performances are wonderful and the atmosphere as a whole transports one to a whole other world, full of dreams and longing. The album also features Jaco Pastorious one of my favorite musicians of all time. The chemistry between Joni and Jaco is nothing short of Magical.