When musicians go solo, there’s often a tension between carrying the weight of the past and trying to sketch out a fresh identity. With his debut (solo) single “Distant Light”, Carlisle-born singer-songwriter Sam Macdonald doesn’t just step out on his own, he cuts a sharper, more personal figure than before.
The track, released in late September, blends wiry guitars and soulful melodies with a pop sensibility that feels both familiar and slightly off-kilter. And now, with the arrival of its video, “Distant Light” gets the visual treatment it deserves: hazy, restless, and alive with a sense of movement.
The video’s release marks more than just another single drop. For Macdonald, this project is about autonomy:
“The basslines, the drums and everything else is all at my direction. The make-up of everything, audio, visual, is all driven by myself”, he says.
That independence is audible. “Distant Light” is poppier and more immediate than his earlier band work, but it also leans into something stranger, a warped edge that keeps you on your toes.
If there’s a thread running through the single and its visuals, it’s the idea of searching: for change, for escape, for something beyond the here and now. And with this debut, Sam Macdonald seems to have found a place where he can make exactly the music he wants to make.
