‘Damocles’ is the latest single to be released by singer/songwriter Martin Moran. It’s the first single to be released from the County Meath based artist’s upcoming 6 track E.P., ‘Mixtape No. 1′. The E.P. will be an experiment of sounds, songs and poetry recorded by Moran while concurrently working on various other releases, music projects and festivals over the past 12 months.
Damocles is a poignant song which explores the tolls taken by life on the road, traveling from country to country, the guilt of missing family milestones and as the title references, the fear that life could change without warning.
Starting off with only acoustic guitar and vocals, a loneliness is depicted which is emphasized by lyrics that refer to the sword of Damocles. (In the Greek fable a sword was hung by a narrow thread above Damocles’s head at a feast as a reminder that at any moment during times of such pleasure and joy, if the thread should break, it all could end instantly!) Then, about midway through, the song receives a lift with the addition of piano, strings, drums and bass guitar in what Moran describes as “a sort of a penny drop moment”.
“The drop comes in the song when the decision is made to pack up the suitcase for the final time. No more going back and forth and to return home for good. It feels as if a weight was lifted!”
Switching between 3rd and 1st person narrative and back again, the lyrics tell the story of a reclusive person while also giving glimpses of his internal thoughts and realizations that it may only be a mental block preventing the decision for so long.
“I’m dreading the thought of someone cutting the thread,
But why do I feel like it’s all in my head?”
‘Damocles’ is released on 11th Aug 2023 and will be available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms.
Follow Martin Moran on social media at @soy.martino for further information and updates on more single & E.P. release dates.
