A song that can be universally accepted and applied to individual situations
‘Tears‘ is the latest single from Joe Goodall and his band, The Free Radicals. The young Stirling singer-songwriter is one of the most talented upcoming artists in the Scottish music scene, with Goodall even being shortlisted for awards like the singer-songwriter of the year 2023. The Free Radicals are formed by Corin McDonald, Dylan Clark, and Alexander Bland. This track was recorded by Jamie Turnbull at the Post Electric Studios belonging to Idlewild’s guitarist Rod Jones.
This newest single is another one from an upcoming EP which is currently set for release in October. It also follows on from previous single ‘Coffee Shop Dates’ which is also one from the EP. ‘Coffee Shop Dates‘ took Goodall on a continuing journey of successes, which are monumental to smaller artists and stand him in a good place for working towards bigger accolades. This included Goodall doing a live in-person interview, being named Artist of the Week by the Scotsman, and having Single of the Week with BBC Radio Scotland on their Afternoon show.
‘Tears‘ follows from this, and continues to prove how talented Goodall truly is. This track demonstrates Goodall’s sublime songwriting abilities that cater for a mass audience. It is a very simple song but is one that will relate to everyone in some way. He creates a set of words that are formulated and constructed into a format that clearly sets out the intention and message of the track. However, as further exhibited in ‘Tears‘, the lyrics he writes give the listener the opportunity to interpret and relate to the song however it resonates with them. This is a talent that can’t be learned, it seems to be innate with Joe Goodall.
Joe Goodall himself has explained that ‘Tears‘ is a song that gives heart ache a catchy and memorable melody to make it less of a burden. The phrase “hold back the tears” is repeated throughout the tune, with various descriptions following it. At various point, “for you” follows this repeated lyric. The use of open wording like this allows the song to resonate with those not only suffering from heart ache, but perhaps mourning the loss or break up of something. It is a song that can be universally accepted and applied to a vast array of individual situations, even though Goodall has mentioned what it means to him.
Goodall’s somewhat haunting yet comforting vocals join a very simple melody that reassures us someone else is going through what we are likely to experience. His music and overall writing style is reminiscent of James Bay who is known for writing about past experiences like Goodall does. It will mean a lot to people that someone has vocalised what they feel, without knowing specifically what they’re going through. This is a beautifully made song, and Joe Goodall’s writing is something that will continue to give him the recognition and admiration he absolutely deserves.
You can see Joe Goodall perform this new track, and his other equally amazing tunes at various shows this year. One of these is part of the Central Belter shows where he will be supporting the incredible Brògeal. This will be at the iconic Sneaky Pete’s on August 11th and isn’t a show to be missed.