Moving to a new home can be rough; moving to a new country can be a struggle. The Sewing Club explore how their lead singer, Hannah McElroy, is coming to terms with her move to Nashville, Tennessee from Tianjin, China in their newest single, “Trying”, from their debut EP.
The physical move takes its toll, but separating yourself from your parents’ beliefs and your community’s expectations create a whole other drama. With a shimmering, warbling harmony of guitar and bass by Stephen Meaux and Will Harris, the unsteady grounding of this tale clings, pulling the notes along with the narrative.
The steady, driving drums by Zach McCoy feel inevitable—so long as you keep “trying your best today,” you will find your home. The drums’ powerful certainty steadies the ever-shifting musical layers.
Hinting at both China and Nashville, The Sewing Club drops subtle nods to a pentatonic scale throughout the song. It ties the geographic regions together while imbuing a quiet energy to what otherwise could be larger melodic leaps, like constrained exploration of a new culture.
Like Hannah explains it, we’re all just trying to work it out while still fearing we’re not enough. Where we come from and where we’re going collide in “Trying”.
Stream “Trying” below.
Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he’s not writing for his supper, he’s eating it at some of NYC’s most interesting restaurants.
