A song recently uploaded to the Brightwater Community Facebook page has become an instant hit, with viewers relating to its content and the featured local scenery.
The song and video, called ‘Broken Wings’, is part of a musical series created by John Hendry and Candy Blair who make up the local duo known as Kramit.
“Broken Wings is an expression of grief that we felt needed to be shared,” says lead singer and writer Candy.
“The pain, the hurt of those left behind. It's been full on for us, but it's been healing, and it wasn't until after we had shared the piece that we realised how many people related to it.”
The video features numerous pairs of shoes representing someone lost.
“Just about every pair of shoes in the video represents a real person, has a name to it and a story behind it. Most of us can relate to losing and longing for someone. It feels like we all cry together in this song. Nā koutou i tangi, nā tātau katoa - when you cry, we all cry.”
Each pair of shoes chosen had intent, but what the duo wasn't expecting was the overwhelming feedback from people saying how much they connected the shoes to people lost from their own lives.
“Every pair had thought in it. The pair was specific enough to represent the real person we had lost in our lives yet vague enough to be anyone’s grandad, friend, or cousin,” says John.
Well-known locations from Brightwater and Wakefield appear throughout the music video and many have commented that they have enjoyed seeing the local area.
“Early next year we are relocating to the Far North, Te Tai Tokerau, to the kete of knowledge and whakapapa. With this in mind it was important to us to capture some of the neat local spots we often take for granted and are going to miss, but it also fitted well with the piece,” says John.
Broken Wings features on their latest album 'Get' which is slightly different from their usual material.
“We have been embracing our roots with acoustic guitar and bass, but we have also enhanced this recording with double bass, Ponga Ihu (traditional Māori nose flute), my grandfather's 100-year-old clarinet, and a 4-part choir arrangement,” says John.
“Our studio independence has allowed us to push the boundaries of what we originally thought our songs and overall sound should be.”
Candy says that connection is “so important”.
“Connection to the earth, connection to each other, without connection we feel alone. Connection holds you stronger and together we are stronger, apart we are more likely to fall over.
“Both John and I feel so proud of ourselves for starting from scratch to become independent recording artists and with our own experiences and emotions being able to connect with others and let them know that grief is a journey, and they are not alone,” Candy says.
