Senseless Optimism swirls around meditative immediacy with ‘Done’
Massachusetts singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brittany Tsewole releases her captivating new single on Friday, October 7
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‘Done’ is about moving past addiction and becoming physically and mentally healthy
Photo Credit: Pete Pagan
BOSTON, MA [October 7, 2022] – Over the summer, Senseless Optimism released the It Gets Better EP, and aside from being a defining work from Massachusetts multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Brittany Tsewole, its title was, unbeknownst to listeners at the time, a prediction of what was to come. On Friday, October 7, Senseless Optimism delivers “Done,” a remarkable new single that elevates Tsewole’s game even higher, while continuing to display the emerging artist’s ability to address difficult subjects with her enchanting brand of magnetism and positivity.
Senseless Optimism’s final release of 2022, “Done” is both meditative and dancy, taking the project’s indie foundation and incorporating a larger swath of influences, both from Tsewole’s world around her native city of Lowell and her West African roots. The daughter of a Sierra Leone native mother and Cameroon native father, Tsewole split her time growing up between New England, Africa, and Sri Lanka, and on “Done” the UMass-Lowell graduate weaves in elements of Soukous and Makossa against her more familiar Americanized cocktail of indie-pop, jazz, rock, soul, R&B, and psych.
The result is an innovative and infectious track that defies genre limitation, all while swirling around a central meaning of moving past addiction and becoming mentally and physically healthy. Its lyrical content was inspired by real-life conversations she would have with a man named Willy, an unhoused Lowell resident who fell on hard times after working as a professional boxer in his youth. It’s another example of how Tsewole is one of the most authentic new musical voices in the region.
“‘Done’ is about moving on from bad habits, in this specific case, drug abuse,” says Tsewole. “It's when you look around and see all the people who were close to you move past the struggle you're currently facing. Causing one to have a mix of feelings involving guilt, frustration, loneliness, sadness, and wanting to be done with it all.”
On the It Gets Better EP, each track created a narrative arc around specific themes of grief, from denial to anger to depression and finally, to acceptance. On “Done,” Tsewole again crosses a spectrum of emotion, but here she’s engaging a journey in under three memorable minutes.
“Musically, I've been exploring new territory,” Tsewole admits. “‘Done’ is an accumulation of inspirations from my youth, lineage, as well as conversations I’ve had with individuals such as Willy. ‘Done’ reflects the growth that has come with age. When I wrote the EP songs, it was before I graduated college in 2021. Whereas ‘Done’ is a cumulation of all the songs written in the year since as well as referencing experiences during that time.”
“Done” was adapted from a chorus Tsewole first wrote back when she was 17. Now that she’s added guitar-playing to her musical repertoire, she brought its bones back to re-build it around her conversations with Willy, which she describes as “eye-opening.” From there, she brought the song to her team – Henley Row producer and mixing engineer Dan Nicklin, guitarist Mike Benjamin, bassist Max Churchill, and drummer Kevin Donovan – to make “Done” what it is today. The track also features keys by Matt Obadashian, and was mastered by Brian Charles.
“‘Done’ is a step into a new era of Senseless Optimism, both musically as well as lyrically,” she adds. “Lyrically, as one of the deeper songs in my catalog. All while still embodying the meaning of Senseless Optimism.
That meaning is still being defined. Last year, Senseless Optimism was named New Act of the Year at the New England Music Awards, and at the Boston Music Awards was nominated in three categories (New Artist of the Year; Singer-Songwriter of the Year; and 617 Sessions Song of the Year). Tsewole didn’t win at the BMAs, but she performed live at the ceremony at Brighton Music Hall, and walked away as one of the most talked-about performers of the night. With the BMAs ballot expected to surface in the coming weeks, Tsewole has already earned a trio of nominations in the New England Music Awards: Song of the Year (“Leave You Behind”); Song Writer of the Year; and Pop Act of the Year.
“This single, being a mark of a new era, was exactly how I wanted to conclude my releases for this year,” Tsewole admits. “As next year will only bring new developments.”
With “Done,” on the shoulder of everything that came before it, it’s clear that Senseless Optimism is just getting started.
Media Contact: Please direct all press inquiries to Senseless Optimism at senselessoptimism@gmail.com or Michael Marotta at michael@publisist.co.
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Senseless Optimism secondary press photo:
Photo Credit: Pete Pagan
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Senseless Optimism short bio:
Senseless Optimism, the vessel for international artist Brittany Tsewole, is quickly redefining the role of the singer/songwriter in the modern era. Her international perspective and deeply insightful lyricism have already made her a fan favorite in her hometown of Lowell, MA. Now, with the release of her most accomplished music to date, July’s It Gets Better EP, Senseless Optimism is on the verge of a national breakthrough.
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‘Done’ single artwork:
Photo Credit: Pete Pagan
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‘Done’ production credits:
Brittany Tsewole: Vocals and rhythm guitar
Mike Benjamin: Lead guitar
Max Churchill: Bass
Kevin Donovan: Drums
Matt Obadashian: Keys
Produced and mixed by Dan Nicklin
Mastered by Brian Charles
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‘Done’ lyrics:
Well I know
I know there’s nowhere left to go
Well I know
I know
Been smoking on the street for way too long
It’s been fun, been fun
But I’m done, I’m done
Aaaahhh
Aaaahhh
I know you seem so easy
For everybody else but me
There’s people moving on
While I’m still in my seat well
Grab my book and rip a page
crush white rocks and hit my vein
Roll my green to make a cake
Aaaahhh
(I know, I know, I know, I know)
Aaaahhh
(I’m done, I’m done, I’m done)
Aaaahhh
(I know, I know, I know, I know)
Aaaahhh
(I’m done, I’m done, I’m done)
I know I’m feeling broken
But I’ll still get up on my feet
There’s people moving on
And why can’t that be me?
Cause I don’t have to sit and pray
I’ll find my own escape
Cause I know
I know there’s nowhere left to go (left to go)
And I know
I know
Been smoking on the street for way too long
It’s been fun, been fun
But I’m done, I’m done
Aaaahhh
(I know, I know, I know, I know)
It’s been fun
But I know
That I’m
Done
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The music of Senseless Optimism can be heard and found on:
Add To Want List, Banks Radio Australia, Bay State Rock, Blue Mood (KCUR), Blood Makes Noise, Boston Emissions with Anngelle Wood, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, BumbleBee Radio, Citywide Blackout, CKDU, DigBoston, Everything You Know Is Wrong (Salem State Radio), idobi Radio, KRNU, KRUI, KSJD, KVRX, Lonely Oak Radio, Lowell Spin, Marc's Alt-Rock Playground (Mark Skin Radio), On The Town with Mikey Dee (WMFO), Original Music Showcase (Mark Skin Radio), Rising with Skybar (WMFO), Silver Gun Reviews, Sunshine Music iRadio, Vanyaland, WBUR, WGBH, WHFR, WMEB, WUMF, Wave Radio Boston, Worcester Magazine, Your First Listen (KNNZ/Eardrum Buzz), and other fine publications and radio programs.
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Media praise for Senseless Optimism:
"Groovy and warm music, wonderful vocals – the future is bright." _Add To Want List (UK)
“Certain artists have a knack for being brilliantly enigmatic, and Boston’s Senseless Optimism is one of them.” _DigBoston
“[‘Nothin To Me’] is the epitome of chill. Brittany Tsewole’s performance is nothing short of stellar… one of those songs that can extract you from the stressors of everyday life and make you feel like it’s all gonna be ok. It pairs best with chilled vodka or a nice wine as you watch the sun go down on a breezy Boston summer evening.” _617 Reviews
“Tsewole has an enormously expressive voice, and is able to convey conflicting emotions at once, which is a pretty neat trick. The songs burn with heat and longing, as well as anger, pain, and most importantly, a sense of being stuck in a cycle of loss.” _Worcester Magazine
"Boston singer-songwriter Brittany Tsewole (AKA Senseless Optimism) isn’t letting anyone get in her way. Take one listen through her captivating new EP and you’ll agree. It Gets Better is an infectious five-track mantra of positivity and perseverance willed into existence in musical form. The new EP, released in July, quickly shows that Tsewole is no one-trick pony. While centered in indie pop, It Gets Better incorporates elements of jazz, rock, soul, R&B and psych to make for a positively gargantuan display of versatility and range." _Blood Makes Noise
“[‘Why?’] features dreamy production, jazzy guitar, a buoyant melody and darkly introspective lyrics. Downtempo, sung in a sort of sublime whisper and absolutely hypnotic, ‘Why?’ captivates the ears, heart and mind.” _Boston Herald
Packed with a jazzy chord progression, bouncy drum grooves, and a smartly simplistic chorus, ‘Why?’ leaves worries of a sad summer behind. The track’s clear jazz influence paired with Senseless Optimism’s lower range is reminiscent of Amy Winehouse and Nina Simone.” _Sound of Boston
“‘Why?’ flows with Tsewole’s stream of consciousness, always circling back to that exasperated one-word question with an air of genuine concern.” _Vanyaland
Press Contact: michael@publisist.co or senselessoptimism@gmail.com
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