Every week, the Milwaukee Music Premiere sponsored by Density Studios connects the city’s artists with our listening audience. If you’re an artist with a track you’d like us to debut exclusively on Radio Milwaukee, head over to our Music Submission page to learn how.
As I don’t need to tell you, outrage is a moving target these days. The instant you train your sights on one thing, seven other ones pop up that set your teeth on edge (or worse).
It’s a frustrating situation that makes it tough to even put together a social post. Now imagine what it’s like for the artistic community as they attempt to paint, sculpt, write, dance or sing their way through this deluge of maddening moments.
Milwaukee singer-songwriter Nathaniel Heuer discovered exactly how easy it is to get caught in that interminable loop while trying to put the elusive final touches on “My Darkest Heart,” the single we’re premiering today.
The creative journey was much more of a marathon than a sprint for Heuer, a familiar face in the city’s music scene as a member of Group of the Altos, Marielle Allschwang & The Visitations and Hello Death (his own separate indie-folk project). Getting “My Darkest Heart” to the finish line was a years-long jump from one head-shaking headline to the next, with Heuer trying to process it all in song form.
“What begins as a melancholy nod to the absurdity of our human reaction to a global pandemic then morphed into a gut reaction to the injustice and indifference of an American culture rooted in ignorance, white supremacy, capitalism and a colonial mentality,” he explained. “Sometimes, it seems our fight for a more egalitarian society is futile, as the iron grip of money is not easily escaped. But there are glimpses of hope within small communities that care for their neighbors and circumvent the injustice built into our systems.”
While he ended his summary on a bright note, Heuer’s new single has a more dirge-like quality befitting his vocal approach that nods to the likes of Matt Berninger and Nick Cave. Heuer comes in low and understated while giving several assessments of the then-current state of things:
In truth we walk to sow the land
Six feet apart in masks we stand
Now thunder close to where we sing
We sharpen teeth on freedom’s ring
The thirst for blood is growing then
The need for peace returns again
Will “My Darkest Heart” fill you with sunny optimism? It will not. But the point of art is to help us process difficult moments, not necessarily make us feel A-OK about them. What you can feel good about is spending a shade under 6 minutes with this track that layers a complex composition to match its complex emotions.
Listen to “My Darkest Heart” using the player at the top of the page and find it on Heuer’s Bandcamp page starting next Monday, June 23.
