"I wrote 'This Close' about falling in love with someone while I was living in Big Sur – specifically about the ways we look to be loved by one another, the ways we try to satisfy our longing, the ways we tell each other we understand each other, and the ways our desire to be loved can play out in addictive behaviour.
"Living up in those mountains, I felt like spirits were living in the landscape. That's what I think about when I listen to this song.
"With the video I wanted to explore what those spirits might look like if they took human form – how they would express themselves, and how they might embody and reflect some of the wisdom that exists in the landscapes that surround us."
"Sarlé toured as part of Feist's live band before releasing her debut single, Human, at the start of the year:
"'Human' is about how we project onto other people, especially love interests, and being disappointed when an idealized version of another person crumbles away," Sarlé explains.
"It's about coming to terms with the end of something by recognizing that everyone is flawed, and sometimes things just don't work.
"It's possible to find joy in disappointment and letting go."
The track was accompanied by an
atmospheric video featuring Sarlé's
Mountain Man bandmates, alongside some other familiar faces:
"The story takes place in a dream world where no one really pays attention to me as I'm singing karaoke.
"Slowly the characters in the bar begin to morph and enter into my dream world, becoming part of what I wish was happening.
"The dancing and singing along reflects what I hope happens when people listen to this song.
"So, the karaoke bar is an in-between world where audience and performer meet in a dream."
Sarlé wrote and recorded forthcoming debut albym, Karaoke Angel, over three years – living in a cliffside trailer in Big Sur, even spending time in a monastery before coming back home to Durham (NC), finally settling into a church-turned-recording studio in Woodstock (NY).
She combines those two worlds – West Coast incantations with a warm Appalachian glow – to make an album of open-hearted, unflinching song writing equally appropriate for late-night karaoke comedowns, plaintive morning walks, and conjuring the spirit world.
Molly Sarlé will be heading to Brighton: Green Door Store on 30th August 2019. CLICK HERE for tickets - New album, Karaoke Angel, is due for release in the autumn. For updates CLICK HERE.