Photo by Damien Goerke
"Grasping at the Water" by Chuditch is so instantly heavy. Emotionally thick, torn and bleeding out it, it feels so exquisitely blown out, cried out like a divorce, like stepping into a funeral or maybe waking up to a darkly contested national election where an orange haired evil one is doing all too well but I digress. At the center of Chuditch is Perth, Australia's singer-songwriter Leigh Gardiner and while the spartan production with somber piano, a beautifully concrete heavy drum beat, and extremely sad strings pull you down, it is Gardiner's voice that makes you drown. His vocal aesthetic is arms stretched out dramatic but not melodramatic. His vocal, artful prowess is able to exhibit pain and longing in a real way. As those thick strings, ghostly piano flutters swirl around that voice, it is that voice that carries the emotional gravitas.
The lyrical content carries dark musings of those in power casting out "the others" and bring to mind the Salem Witch trials or similar such trials. History is full of atrocities and inherent evil of mob rule. Today's headlines are full of it too.
"As the tired mind does, these contemplations morphed into thoughts of the medieval witch-hunts and testing of witches. Accused women were thrown into water – believed to be the purest substance – as the impure would be rejected from the water and float and therefore killed, while the pure would sink. Due to lack of swimming skills in these times, it really was a lose/lose situation."
The video for Chuditch's debut turns those ancient trials into a statement about today's judgment on social media were scarlet letters are spray painted on a daily basis and cancel culture or cancel cults eat their own young.
I am super impressed with Chuditch and look forward to swim in more of his heaviness. "Grasping at the Water" is so darkly cinematic, a deadly sad panicked flailing in slow motion.
-Robb Donker Curtius
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THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
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CHUDITCH RELEASES BROODINGLY LUSH DEBUT SINGLE AND VIDEO
“GRASPING AT THE WATER”
“Dramatic soundscapes, lush with delicate strings and thundering drums. This is a very impressive first single and a perfectly realized piece of art." - Mark Neal, RTRFM
Introducing Chuditch, the new outfit from Perth singer-songwriter Leigh Gardiner, and his debut single “Grasping at the Water”. Strings flutter and swoop around a sparse, slow-burning groove in this broodingly lush single, set for release on Friday October 30, and accompanied by a metaphorical social media synopsis of a music video.
“The song itself is most impressive in its ability to restrain itself so the most important parts stand out. In this case it's Gardiner's vocals and lyrics that demand the listener's attention, with his deep yet rich voice carrying itself with earnest care in the vein of The National's Matt Berninger or the late Dave McComb from The Triffids. The absence of guitar on the track also shows a maturity in production, allowing the vocals space to breathe and as the centerpiece of the song.” – Brayden Edwards, X-Press Magazine.
Starting as the musings of a tired mind, the line “Grasping at the Water” formed through Gardiner’s contemplations of running off the winding, slippery roads into small creeks and rivers as he drove from Nannup to Bridgetown in West Australia’s South West.
As the tired mind does, these contemplations morphed into thoughts of the medieval witch-hunts and testing of witches. Accused women were thrown into water – believed to be the purest substance – as the impure would be rejected from the water and float and therefore killed, while the pure would sink. Due to lack of swimming skills in these times, it really was a lose/lose situation.
There is a third level of depth to this song, and while it may not be overtly evident in the lyrical content, the music video for “Grasping the Water” draws it to the surface. The video revolves around social media and how at times it seems there is an endless stream of negativity and trolling. The effects this can have on people are immense and this song and video has morphed into Gardiner’s desire to stand up for what he believes is right on these platforms.
“I have a lot of friends from different walks of life, some of which with opinions I don’t necessarily agree with. I’m not a particularly confrontational person but I want to be able to start some friendly discussions and call out what I think is unhelpful opinions. This song was a way of putting that desire in writing.”
The video depicts a character getting ready to make a social media post. As he scrolls through his feed, he becomes increasingly influenced by advertising and followers. Trying to please everyone proves difficult however, with conflicting opinions, evident in lyrics: “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t, dead if you sink and dead if you float”. Eventually the various influencers and trolls start turning on themselves and on the character.
“Grasping at the Water” was realised through contributions from multiple of Gardiner’s lifelong collaborators. Recorded in various lounge rooms around Perth’s suburbs with Andrew Atthowe and Erin Gordon with strings arrangements from Erin Smith who has arranged for the likes of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Eskimo Joe. The sonic culmination of “Grasping at the Water” was mixed and mastered by James Newhouse (The Waifs); and Nathan Martella captured the typical Chuditch DIY style in the music video, filmed at Martella’s house with friends performing the tasks of shaving Gardiner’s face in one take.
“A dark, brooding, string laden monster. I can’t wait to hear what’s next for Chuditch, going by what I’ve just listened to, it's going to be killer!” – Chris Symes, Around the Sound
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