Peter Gabriel Releases 'Looking For The
Peter Gabriel has released the eight-and-a-half-minute synth-funk track 'Looking For The Happy' as part of his ongoing full-moon album series.
Art-rock veteran Peter Gabriel has released a new song titled "Looking For The Happy." It is the latest installment in his ongoing full-moon album release series for the album i/o.
The track runs for eight and a half minutes. It is described as a lush, expansive synth-funk number about searching for joy in an internet age. Gabriel stated he challenged himself to write a happy song based on an irresistible dance groove.
"I've always found it so much easier to write sad songs than happy ones, and I thought, right, I'm going to challenge myself here," Gabriel told the source. "I wanted to base it on a groove that made dancing irresistible, it felt like it was unleashing some joy."
Song Themes
Gabriel elaborated on the themes of finding happiness in simple, present moments. He mentioned trying to communicate with animals, connecting with nature, or sitting under an old oak tree with tea. The singer said he is trying to do "a little less bitching" as he gets older.
He also touched on broader philosophical questions. "Trying to get a handle on where you fit in life, that's part of what I write about a lot," Gabriel said. "Also getting comfortable with two contradictory ideas simultaneously has been part of growing old, like being a part of everything and a part of nothing."
Creative Process
The song began with a groove that had a Latin flavor. Gabriel emphasized the importance of a physical connection to the music. "The groove is always so important to me, if I don't feel it in my body, then everything is a whole lot harder," he explained. He noted that a strong groove makes it easy to play through and explore different ideas in the studio.
Cover Art Connection
The single's cover art is Closed Circuit II by artist Tishan Hsu. Gabriel said he was recently "blown away" by Hsu's work, which he described as having a childlike simplicity akin to Miro or Paul Klee but with technological references.
Gabriel saw a thematic link between the art and his song. "In the way that the song was trying to explore consciousness, technology, and nature, I think Tishan does that in some of his own work," he said. He noted the 1986 artwork has been compared to the original Instagram logo but predates it. The singer finds it a simple, blank, yet feeling image.
Gabriel expressed happiness that the intuitive choice of artwork revealed deeper connections. "Often when we see these images for the songs, we're reacting spontaneously to something that feels right, and then we dig down and discover that there are similar themes being explored visually and musically," he said.
