In today’s age, technology has flooded our lives with content. Caught in the mire are modern musicians who champion an art form more widely distributed than any other throughout human history. And we, more often than not, overlook the music created by unfamiliar faces because it’s challenging. We’d rather have an easy listen, a known quantity to skim through while we think about something else.
Hearing is easy, but listening is difficult. Welcome to “Why We Like It,” where we rebuke the trends in favor of thoughtful analysis and underknown sounds.
“Ode to my Ex” — Anuka
Listen On:
How We Found It
Singer-songwriter and composer, Anuka, pens a piece of loving reflection in our SubmitHub inbox. “Ode to my Ex”, the titular track to her latest project, sees the artist writing a song that gives spaces for love, longing, and acceptance of what is from what came before. It’s a mature and honest take on the breakup song. It’s personal but somewhat reflective of what many go through. It’s not always a fire of hate that burns everything down. Sometimes that burnt bridge is to move on and light the path behind you as a reminder.
While many see the past as chapters that need to be closed and never seen again, Anuka says “I think this helped me open up about my heartbreak process, knowing my friends were there for me and being understanding of the situation.” A lesson I’ve learned myself over the past year and some change. It’s a part of life, so I’ve learned to be okay with the attachment. Listen to this ode she’s written and see how it helps you.
Why We Like It
Until we plant ourselves with the significant other that grows with us, our seeds fly from partner to partner to crossbreed and blossom into beings that become extremely unique. With each passing relationship, there is growth to be had. We cut down our respective trees, in the end, to leave behind letters from the pages written with messages for all the ones who have helped us grow thus far. Most of the time, the only ones that get to read them are our immediate offspring or those who were closely connected but have come after because they’ve seen the fully formed person you’ve become.
Those who don’t get to hear and read those hymns of beautiful, reflective art are those who cross-pollinated with us to create your unique sheets of paper. Why? Mostly because they’re out of our lives for a good reason, but every now and then it’s those relationships with great intention and hindsight perspective that have helped us most. Anuka’s song and project “Ode to my Ex” uses the opportunity to bring a positive dedication to someone who helped her progress. It’s made with love and appreciation.
It was liberating to allow myself to put the love I still feel for my ex-partner into this record…. Learning this about myself, I wanted to create a place where this love and connection I feel for/with a person can live on. ” – Anuka for CentralSauce
Piecing itself together with soft strings that seem like small water droplets of memories reflecting on each leaf grown, Anuka takes her time reminiscing on what once was. What she misses. The love and care from a family she made her own — love could’ve stayed hers if the relationship continued. Possibilities that were endless branches of what-ifs and maybes. Then, as if passionately catching fire, the branches burn away and leave ashes of what this actually is. The past of enshrined love that meant so much at the time, but in the ashes of what once was there’s the inevitability of it all being fine.
The song doesn’t stop and start. It initially takes 34 seconds for any singing to begin at all. It took its time. All singing ceases at the 4:32 mark but the song is a full 6 minutes and 12 seconds long. The feelings linger. They seethe. Just because something is over, it doesn’t mean that it is over. It takes time. Tears are shed. Drinks are drunk. Time is taken to be over what was. Anuka lets that instrumental just play out — understanding that this ode is going back to the well to put water on a tree that is only memory. Taking a sip from that pool of memories might sting as it goes down the throat but it’s a thing that still exists. It’s there. You may choose to never look at it, but it’s still there.
Essentially the music on this album is a vehicle for the longevity in love and friendship, even when it no longer exists in a form we acknowledge.” – Anuka for CentralSauce
Growth is never linear. Just as we go back to see what has transpired in our lives to move forward, we must write letters to what came before to better appreciate the books we’re writing now — journals for nostalgic and learning purposes. Not every letter we write is one of love and care, but it’s ones like these that are placed highly in the heart. So I personally say thank you to all who have come before to make me who I am now. We may have burnt the bridge of going back, but from that fire, I hope we both have grown something new.
From Anuka
Anuka: This is where I turned to the writing and producing of this body of work. I wanted to respect his decision to cut off any amicable contact. In a way, that decision helped me to accept that this chapter was over, and I needed to move on too. It was a bitter pill to swallow realizing my desire for friendship after being in each other’s lives for so long was different from his desires. It taught me a lot about friendship too. It helped me become more understanding of how I don’t quickly consider someone to be my close friend, but that when I do, they are usually more like a family member for life.
The creative process was turbulent, to say the least. I sampled guitar sounds from one of my close friends and wrote the songs during the entire process of mourning and healing. ‘Lose You’ was the first track that was done and therefore felt obvious to release first. The other singles were released with that same threshold, meaning: when I was ready to let go. I created most of these songs in solitude, taking the time to delve into my grief and to allow myself to feel the pain.
More From Anuka
To keep up with Anuka, you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram to stay tuned in. The project Ode to my Ex is just as heartfelt as its titular track. The seven track piece has a range of sounds and emotions that go through the relationship grieving process. “Blank Canvas” is a particular piano-driven standout. It builds and encompasses feelings that are touched on in the single.
Anuka also has a previous EP, Rock Steady, that has highlights like “Haven” and “Nothing.” The jazz and pop trained singer has an array of tools in her musical toolbox she likes to showcase.
More to Discover
Subscribe to the CentralSauce mailing list so you never miss out on the freshest sauce. Check out this continuously updated playlist of songs Tyler has added to our Discovery section! Each track or artist has been featured in our “Why We Like It” section, so be sure to check out the page here on the site.
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