How does one deal with grief and loss? There are the five stages, sure, but art therapy can certainly serve as a means to catharsis.
Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based artist Michael VM explores his feelings in what he went through as his mother was passing in two songs on his debut solo effort, the happiest man on earth. The swelling, expansive first single, “Before The Sun,” found VM coming to the acceptance stage with the second, “Before The Moon,” still entrenched in the beginning throes of heartache. Impose Magazine has the exclusive premiere of “Before The Moon” here today.
Playing with the same lyrics, Michael VM brilliantly juxtaposes the instrumental landscapes with “Before The Moon”‘s build and crescendo serving as the chaotic clamor leading to “Before The Sun”‘s cut through the darkness.
“This is the companion piece, the second act of the diptych, to ‘Before The Sun.’ As you can tell, the lyrics are the same but the vibe is entirely different. These songs are a sonic day and night, with one representing the anger I was experiencing at the loss of my mother while the other, hopefully, sees me finding relief that her struggle had ended.”
Stream Michael VM’s “Before The Moon” below and pre-order the happiest man on earth out November 10th here.
