A couple of days ago, an alert popped up on my phone: Stephen Macartney has sent you a message. That's never been a bad thing. In the pre-COVID days, the message would have been an invite to a show, a chat about music, or a suggestion to have a few too many pints in The Sunflower Bar. All things that seem like somewhat distant memories.
Some of you will know Stephen Macartney from his solo work over the years, from covers shows in Fealty’s Bar in Bangor, Co. Down, or as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of Farriers. The luckier among you may know his work as King Cedar. Those of you not yet acquainted with the regal moniker are in for a treat.
King Cedar has a new E.P. I haven’t enquired as to whether ‘The Sunflower E.P.’ refers to the aforementioned pub or if it’s more of a metaphorical spring rebirth. The truth is irrelevant here. In lieu of the fanfare and trappings of press releases and marketing campaigns, a simple text message is enough to intrigue me.
We chat briefly about the struggles of life in a global pandemic, dropping clichés about “struggling on”, “making the best of things”, and looking forward to “when this is all over”. We skirt around the edges of the bigger issues because sometimes all you need to do is check-in. Hey, we’re both still here, alive and doing what we do.
What Macartney does is write exquisite Americana. He’s never been shy of infusing his inner demons in his songs, talking about mental health, opening up in a manner that confronts the issues but rests easy on the ear of the listener.
‘The Sunflower E.P.’, written and recorded in the last year, is a D.I.Y. venture – even the cover artwork is by Macartney’s father. The home recording has all the rawness of a live show. There’s no overproduction papering over the cracks. There’s a definite feel of the “indie boy genius” era Conor Oberst on Bright Eyes’ pre-‘Fevers and Mirrors’ work.
Lead single ‘Lost In The Sunflower’ and E.P. closer ‘Once I Was A Fighter’, see King Cedar grappling with mortality:
I once was a fighter of time. The days stood like soldiers in a line but as each shot rang empty and the fields grew bloody, there were fewer ahead than behind.
At times, the E.P. is a dark listen, a reminder of the troubled times we live in. The stories told are autobiographical, yet they’re about us all. There’s a quality in that, Macartney is cut from a similar cloth to the great everyperson storytellers like Cash, Kristofferson, or Prine.
‘Happy Ever After’ is the real moment of hope here. It could be a Wainwright record, although at time of writing I’m on the fence as to whether it’s Louden or Rufus. The arrangement is lighter, breezy. In pandemic terms, it’s the moment when you leave the house for your walk in the hills or your sea swim off the coast. We may not recognise the good times always, but they’re there.
Now our happy ever after wears a mask.
A cursory glance through the lyrics listed on the King Cedar Bandcamp pages reveals some additional notes from the songwriter:
As the pandemic carries on through the winter, it’s becoming increasingly difficult. I swear I tried to write something positive but it turned out this way. I don’t think I have happy songs in me.
And that, that lack of happy songs is just fine. ‘The Sunflower E.P.’ is a maudlin collection of worries, fears, and anxieties. It’s an E.P. for the “it’s O.K. to not be O.K.” generation. We’re often encouraged to reach out and talk, but remember, the talking only works if someone else is listening.
Do King Cedar a favour and have a listen. You’ll be doing yourself a favour too. In some ways, we really are all in this together.
Stay safe. Love your music. Love your nearest and dearest.