User:A. Hartland Music/Overview

A. Hartland is a South African singer-songwriter and producer located in Cape Town, South Africa.

Hartland sources inspiration from various genres to form his sound ranging from 70's Folk/Rock, Alternative, Indie, Blues, Soul, Country, Downtempo and Musical Theatre.

His debut album 'Songs From a Bedouin Tent, Volume 1' was released on 1st October 2023. he is in the process of recording Volume 2 with a planned release date towards the end of 2023 /beginning of 2024.

'Songs From a Bedouin Tent, Volume 1' features the following tracks:

1. Take Flight

"And you love, and you lead, our feet stampede."

This song was inspired by the Cape Town Swing dance community, a non-profit organization that provides an inspiring and uplifting service to the citizens of Cape Town and surrounding areas. It tells the story of a dance leader (The Angel) who visits the city to lead the community in dance through its city streets. In doing so, dance becomes a symbol of hope for its inhabitants and provides them with a sense of belonging.

2. Mazel Tov

“And silver linings light the blue, an avalanche of morning dew.”

Hartland wrote this song after a conversation with a friend who battles with depression. She is a beautiful person: Kind, warmhearted, compassionate. In their conversation she emphasized others' expectation of her to "just snap out of it." It goes without saying that this is not how depression works. Hartland admires her for her humility and the ability to carry on, despite this card that she has been dealt with in life.

In summary, this song is about staying resilient in the face of adversity.

3. The Morrow

This song is about being afraid to love again due to past experiences. It paints a picture of how one can struggle to process your thoughts and emotions whilst a potential love interest is standing at the door.

Hartland used an oceanic theme as metaphor to describe this given his love for the ocean and where he lives - a port city.

4. Big Old Tree

"Give me the wisdom that I long for, that which only you can provide."

This song was inspired by a Tree of Life bracelet Harland received from his mother after she was diagnosed with stage-4 colon cancer. He wrote the song 18 months after her passing during the days leading up to Christmas in 2022.

There is a strong ‘nature’ and ‘meditation’ theme to the song. Aside from music, this is where he found solace after her passing when trying to process feelings of grief and loss.

5. Belong (Song From a Bedouin Tent)

"Let us heed else we'll fade with the sands of time. For I know, should we let go, we'll belong."

This song is about family bonds and how it changes over time, in particular, the resistance to bury the hatchet.

Hartland spent many years working in the Middle East, and have a soft spot for the beauty of the desert. The lyrics describe the writer living alone in the desert, after a "fateful event" which had a dramatic impact on his family bonds. The writer then becomes aware of the role he played to create this situation ("Third eye rises"), and decides to return to his family to make amends, because ultimately, that's where he belongs.

6. New Beginnings

"Hold forth and resist, self-doubt when it exists."

The very first song written by A. Hartland.

New Beginnings followed 18 months of deep introspection and spiritual exploration after the passing of his mother and relocating back to Cape Town. The song is based on many in-depth conversations with his life coach, as well as personal reflections.

The last section, in particular, has significant personal meaning to Hartland. From his home, one can see the Cape Town City Bowl, the harbor, and Table Bay. Sometimes a fantastical blanket of fog seeps in over the bay into the city and is a beautiful image, especially at night. It’s accompanied by the foghorn in Mouille Point, which adds additional mystique along with the low hum of the city. It’s peaceful. In contrast, when the South-Eastern wind blows, it can be apocalyptic, especially in the summer months. This is also true for the big storms of winter. Harland found this imagery to be wonderful metaphors for life in general and wanted to write it into the song.

7. Belong (Crescent Moon Remix)

The idea for this remix came to Harland whilst he and Gino-Trout were busy mixing the original track. The latter is multilayered and Hartland wanted to give each musical element a chance to shine.