What is a musician to do during COVID-19 lockdown except create? Columbus‘ Alex Moses has focused his creative energies toward reassurance, reminding himself (and us all) that sometimes things just don’t work out how we want them to.. and that’s okay. New single and video “Rotten” is the product of that.
With Alex credited for everything to do with “Rotten” except the mastering (Andrew Edgson at Studios 301) and video (Sean Kirkpatrick/AE Creative Video – shot on Alex’s phone, no less), the song comes across like a labour of love. And it feels and sounds like it too.
A smiling Alex weaves his way through Melbourne alleyways, progressively getting dressed and ready while a gentle melody melds with his warm vocals. The sense of reassurance as well as the fullness of the chorus has “Rotten” form a spark of joy that enduring months of Melbourne lockdown has us craving. With a pants-less confetti explosion and leaping freely down the road, the song also captures a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’/’we made it!’ vibe that is slowly rippling across our city as restrictions ease.
“Look in my eyes, no fear, we all know what happens here”
Like a bowl of different fruits that sometimes has a piece of fruit turn rotten, I take the song as a sweet metaphor for life, where we can acknowledge a not-so-great piece without throwing out all of it. In actuality, it was noticing tiny joys in a low mood that inspired the creation of “Rotten”. Alex says “I started writing the chorus and first draft of the lyrics for “Rotten” hungover one morning before work. Feeling depressed and flat, I didn’t really want to write anything at all. But the sun streaming in the window and a coffee picked up my mood, and got me thinking that even when things go wrong (which they do all the time), everything will be alright in the end.”
Watch the “Rotten” music video below and stream via your usual places.
