A stellar sonic journey full of mesmerizing soundscapes and moving vocal lines, “On Your Knees” is constructed from recordings from SURII’s grandfathers’ funeral and tells the story of a child lost in his imagination, coming to terms with loss and his roots.
“It’s been a journey putting this piece of music together. I’ll always be especially proud of this one – it’s the first song I ever completed, the very first solo track where I was able to write for & record a full string orchestra between Abbey Road, London & AM Studios, Chennai and where I truly began the journey of writing music & finding my process.
It all started with a vision on the night that I lost my grandfather in 2015. It was about 4 or so in the morning, the dawn just peeking over the horizon, slivers of warmth touching a cold icebox. The ritual mourners had come and gone, and it was just a few of us left – half asleep, half dreaming in the twilight. Suddenly, a flutter, a glimmer at the edge of my eye. I saw a single bed floating in the glow of single streetlight in my ancestral village. I blinked and it was gone. In the next few minutes, the entire song – melody and all began to bloom in my mind. Over the next few months, I chipped away at “On Your Knees” – this is for family, a story of hope, and of forgiving one’s past.”
SURII’s goal is to be the sound of stepping into adulthood, giving voice to the in-between memory, diaspora, and all that’s not said – with “On Your Knees” that certainly becomes reality.