Nathan Hartono is back to welcome his unconventional side.
My new EP "Edge of Days" is now available to stream on all digital platforms.🎵🎶 https://t.co/8I3xEj24Nw pic.twitter.com/yVE4cYFFyP
— Nathan Hartono (@NathanHartono) September 2, 2021
On Friday (03/08), the singer-songwriter dropped his long-awaited EP Edge of Days, which serves as a follow-up to his 2020 Mandarin EP《什么都不做的一天》Do Nothing Day.
Released under Warner Music Singapore, the EP contains four tracks, including previously released standalones ‘I’m Fine’, ‘The Difference’, and two never-before-heard tracks - new single ‘Simple’ and ‘Didn’t We’. The songs tackle issues that are prominent to the singer-songwriter's life such as the "inner struggles of trauma, self-love, sentiments of the pandemic days."
“The EP itself is actually quite a random mix of sounds and feelings, I wish I could say there was more thematic unity… but maybe that is the theme. It was written over the course of the first half of this year which was erratic, to say the least," Hartono described. "The rules to life kept changing. And I was finding myself bouncing between days, stopping and starting, unable to get much of a foothold on anything really, thus the ‘edge of days.’ Music kept me going, for that I am forever grateful. The bonus is that you get to hear the product of all that!”
Wanting to experiment with a different creative direction, Hartono surprised fans by reinventing himself, firstly evidenced by the cover art.
"I’ve always loved unpredictability, and I feel like the idea of me has gone a little stale. I’m looking to shake it up a little, both for myself and you," Hartono explained.
Speaking about the brand new tracks, Hartono described 'Simple' as a song that acknowledges the process of love, and desiring for "something simpler". “Most of the song was done after five to six hours of intense tunnel vision. And when we got out of the session, both of us were so excited with what we had. I also came in with the hopes of writing ‘a simple love song,’ and sure enough we stuck with that concept and dove into the layers of what a ‘simple love’ can be,” Hartono described.
1 day till my EP Edge of Days drops!
— Nathan Hartono (@NathanHartono) September 2, 2021
The last track "Didn't We" is a nostalgic reminiscence of the liberating pre-pandemic days.🥺
Pre-save / Pre-add now! https://t.co/8I3xEiKtoW pic.twitter.com/Zyn2MoZJ9V
Meanwhile, for 'Didn't We', the musician muses about remembering the good old days before the pandemic. Elaborating on its nostalgia, Hartono said: "Things like long road trips, crowded concerts, spontaneous vacations… I look back and see this degree of wild freedom that almost seems foreign to me at this point. I long for those days but am also inspired to live them more fully once this whole thing is over."
This year, Hartono was featured in ‘最新西部爱情’, a collaboration with Taiwanese artist Ty. which was released in July. In the same month, he was a guest for Hear65’s video series Older vs. Younger - What is the Singapore Sound? where he discusses the local music industry and the “Singapore Sound” with aspiring Singaporean artist Haresh Subas.
Listen to Edge of Days here:
