Scottish singer-songwriter Heff VanSaint has released Best Days Gone, a beautiful three-track EP that explores themes of heartbreak, longing, and change.
Aberdeen-born but currently based in London, VanSaint wrote the songs on Best Days Gone to grapple with the heavier aspects of modern life as a young, queer creative, including the cost of living crisis and isolation from others. The EP’s first track, ‘Weavers Fields‘, explores the unique pain of watching one’s hometown slowly become unrecognizable:
“Weavers Fields is a song about witnessing seismic changes to the area that you grew up in through gentrification and an influx of new people, and that feeling of being left behind while the world around you transforms and moves on.”
VanSaint is vocal about the influence of songwriters like Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young on their music. Indeed, their lyrics are similarly evocative and emotionally charged, containing a strong sense of narrative without giving too much away. The somber track ‘Heart on Trial‘ is an ode to a past lover that uses small details to illustrate a passionate, short-lived affair, as well as its devastating aftermath. VanSaint’s breathy vocals are occasionally accompanied by soft, understated saxophone riffs – performed by producer Callum Rafferty – that fill the song with a satisfying warmth.
The slightly faster, more rock-edged ‘Pathways‘ turns away from the past and ends the EP on a hopeful, forward-facing note. In describing the process of moving on from a case of “right person, wrong time,” the song embraces the bittersweet nature of impermanence in relationships.
“And dreams / They move on / I know the life that you want is a meeting of minds away.”
Queer people in music have achieved an unprecedented level of prominence in recent years, and VanSaint is proud to be part of such a significant cultural moment.
“I’m passionate about achieving more visibility for masc presenting queer people. I think representation matters for all of us and it’s empowering to see yourself depicted in pop culture.”
Best Days Gone is all the proof we need to know that Heff VanSaint is an important emerging voice in the indie rock scene. Their impressive lyrical prowess and clear artistic vision make them a welcome addition to the growing roster of queer singer-songwriters paving the way for a softer, kinder, less lonely world.
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