An uncommonly intuitive singer/songwriter and storyteller, Sonja Midtune took the deeply intimate emotions shared to her by a close friend and translated them into a timeless universal love song.
At a creative and career crossroads a few years ago, the emerging indie artist took on the challenge of writing a piece that her friend could give to her husband as a Christmas present. That gift is now ours, with the release of her new single “My Light,” an ethereal, soulfully seductive acoustic ballad that reflects the fresh, folk-pop influenced sound at the heart of the new phase of Sonja’s evolving musical artistry.
Sonja created a transcendent, spiritually connective moment for the couple, performing it for the first time as they slow danced. Now, the song that was once just about about them is a universal expression about us – and our longings and aspirations for a relationship that resonates in this life and beyond.
Co-produced by Sonja and engineer Mike Lizzaraga at Ground Up Studios, “My Light” is the first of several new singles Sonja plans to roll out in 2019. The track, which features a haunting wordless vocal hook, was recorded in one take with vocals and guitar, with no turning or timing. Working with Lizzaraga and engineer Kai Nakamura, the singer then built the drums, guitar and cello (beautifully played by Jean Paul Barjon) around the core track.
This process allowed Sonja to finally capture in the studio the exact vibe she creates when she performs live. The multi-talented performer paved the way for this fresh emergence with the acclaimed 2016 release Live from the Universal Mastering Studios and her longtime residencies at Bar Lubitsch in Santa Monica and a private acoustics company, where she regularly performed to showcase products for mixing and mastering pros.
The song is about a real, everlasting love with someone who is the fuel to his or her partner’s flame. Sonja personalizes it to her own life with a whimsical video featuring raw home movie footage of her walking along a deserted beach – the moments presumably being captured by a romantic interest of her own.
“On a deeper level, I think it perfectly reflects who I am as a songwriter,” she says. “I was able to make this beautiful song out of someone’s story and make it my own. I thought the task might me daunting, but it ended up being a blast from start to finish. I will be teaching songwriting at Cal Poly Pomona University starting this fall semester and I’m excited to share ‘My Light’ as an example of what you can do with someone else’s story.”