‘Saga’, the new song from Pearse McGloughlin is a tale drawn from times of instability. It sings to a cosmic backdrop and of urban odysseys. Its nouvelle vague styled video, shot in Tasmania and directed by Ursula Woods, reflects the inherent dreaminess of the track and channels a cinema vérité aesthetic. It features beautiful strings by Pearse’s long-time collaborator Justin Grounds and drums from Stephen Kiernan.
I wrote this song because I wanted to explore how perspective can help us deal with turbulence and calamity. It was a way of putting sense on a strange historical moment and seeing tragedy up close.
‘Saga’ is taken from Pearse’s sixth studio album ‘Keg’ produced by Julie McLarnon (Jeffrey Lewis, The Vaselines) in the famed Analogue Catalogue studios in Northern Ireland and has been played by BBC6 Music DJ Steve Lamacq amongst others.
The video for ‘Saga’ was directed by Ursula Woods, based in Tasmania. Maria Blackwell who has previously sung on Pearse’s ‘Twine EP’ and ‘In Movement’ appears in the video, lending a hypnotic and faraway mood to the striking visuals.
Director Ursula Woods on ‘Saga’:
”I took an experimental approach to shooting this loose narrative. It was shot (mainly) on a Bolex and also a Canon Scoopic with Kodak double X film, it was DIY hand processed and then digitised in Melbourne. The piece was shot in Kingston Tasmania and features artist Maria Blackwell a mutual friend of mine and Pearse’s. Of course this connection and distance was really the inspiration behind the images as well as the song and lyrics. I was drawn to Saga with its cinematic, dreamy feels”.
The video for Saga will launch on February 16th 2024 and is available on all digital retailers. pre-save.
a musical artist and wordsmith who crafts songs of exquisite beauty and depth (for Keg)… Nenesbutler
this is pop-folk goldsmithery of the highest order … Between strings as precise as they are loose and vocals as inhabited as they are celestial, the journey is overwhelming… This songwriting is both deeply rooted and profoundly singular, giving it that long-lasting breadth that is so precious (for Keg)…. Le Village Pop
Softly embellished folk songs, often with a softly sweeping cinematic bent, the faint burble of electronics and a sense of the avant-garde – The Irish Times (The Rest)
Songs of autumnal ambience, bringing shades of a serene Sigur Ros or Beach House – The Sunday Times (The Rest)
