Drew McManus gets to know himself in "What I Am," one of the new tracks from Satsang's upcoming new album, Flowers From the Fray. The singer's gravelly, earnest voice is at the forefront of this track, which tells a soul-searching story of coming to terms with knowing who you are — even if others might try to tell you otherwise.
"You can tear me down to pieces, but not what I built with these hands/ Can surround me with all of your reaches/ But you can't stand where I stand," McManus sings. "And above all the truths that I know to be true/ I've been up, I've been down and it still follows through/ I said you can't tell me what I am."
In this episode of Positive Vibes Only, Satsang brings listeners to a mountainside backdrop for a stripped-down, acoustic performance of the song. The peaceful outdoor setting lends extra gravity to the performance, which features a close-up shot of McManus singing and strumming along on acoustic guitar.
"What I Am," along with the rest of Flowers From the Fray, finds the reggae-folk outfit stripping back its sound for something grainier, more authentic and intimate. The project was recorded around a fire, by a secluded cabin in southwest Montana, and McManus and his collaborators include the sounds of nature that surrounded them in their final recorded version of the album.
Satsang's name means "sacred gathering" in Sanskrit, and McManus — inspired in part by his newly-minted fatherhood — wanted to evoke an ancient way of making music with his latest project, which was created with all the trappings of a modern-day studio.
Flowers From the Fray will be out in full on September 9. Until then, press play on the video above to enjoy McManus' searing, stripped-back performance of "What I Am," and check back to GRAMMY.com every Sunday for new episodes of Positive Vibes Only.
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