Los Angele’s art-rock band Arjuna Genome – the moniker for songwriter Douglas James Sweeney – is revving up to release their second release in October, titled Cynthia. The album was inspired by the domestic bliss he experienced with his partner, Cynthia, and the feelings that bubbled to the surface after he discovered that she had died. “I was truly in love,” he admits. “When I found her dead in May 2014 I thought I was done making music.” But he wasn’t. We’ve got the exclusive premiere of Arjuna Genome’s latest single off that record, “Hawthorne Moon”.
The song starts off with a sharp beat, followed closely by the bass that got our hips swaying almost immediately. The vocals reveal a true and bittersweet story of love and loss, simple in its diction. He notes the tattoos on her arm while driving, discusses the fact that a “tragic life is coming to a tragic end”, and admits that he still loves her. It’s heartbreaking and soulful at the same time, and we can only hope that those who listen to it find it to be as cathartic as we hope it was for Sweeney.
Cynthia is out on October 28th. It is available for preorder now.
