PREMIERE: Sometime Sonny’s ‘Like Everybody Else’ Packs An Emotional Punch

Artists like Sometime Sonny are a rare occurrence. Creating music that packs an absolute punch, both in his lyricism and immaculate instrumentation, Sometime Sonny’s latest effort, Like Everybody Else, pushes him into a new threshold of songwriting in which only the elite sit. AAA Backstage has the exclusive premiere of Like Everybody Else before its official release.

Following on from breakout single Wasted On Me and its accompanying, self-titled EP, Sometime Sonny, better known as Dave Campbell to his mates, mashes shoegaze-influenced soundscapes with melancholic vocal arrangements. Like Everybody Else locks in an early, plodding melody that traverses musical empathies and alternating tempo changes. Moments of the track spark true artistry—massive amounts of polish ooze each every vocal line and melodic push. In its near-4 minutes of dream-like harmonies, Sometimes Sonny becomes an musician of translucent genre archetypes.

The multiple layers of dream-like musicalities Sometime Sonny evokes on this track is nothing short of marvellous. It warrants continued listens, with good quality headphones, no less, to catch every small detail happening in the background. It’s the smaller details in the music which propel Campbell’s lyrics even further. In conclusion, Like Everybody Else could easily fit as the ending track to Gorillaz’ ‘Demon Days’—thanks in part to the harmonising chorus and brooding vocals.

The track’s inspiration comes from looking back at yourself in a mirror—a retrospection into finding out how similar you are to the people around you, both in your actions and reactions. On an airport train in Fiji, Campbell comes to a realisation which sparked the fire for Like Everybody Else:

“So, I locked the feed I was scrolling through and looked around at my fellow passengers in horror – I might as well have been staring at myself in the mirror… what have I done? I’m like everybody else!” remarks Campbell.

No gigs are on the cards for Sometime Sonny, just yet, but, in the meantime, stream the exclusive magnificence of Like Everybody Else below.