Sontalk Releases New Video For THE ONE WHO BREAKS YOUR HEART

Fresh off a North American tour opening for Telekinesis, SONTALK - the latest project from singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joseph LeMay - released a new official video for the band's current single, "The One Who Breaks Your Heart" - watch here. Released in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the video illustrates how LeMay deals head-on with issues related to mental illness and its effects on life and family. Produced by Matt Genesis, the video premiered exclusively via Billboard.

"This video means a lot to me," he told Billboard. "I hope it gives hope to those who need it and consolation for those struggling with mental illness and/or substance abuse, or those in relationships with someone struggling with these things. Apart from that, I hope this short film can help outsiders empathize with people in the midst of this battle by hopefully normalizing the life of those burdened by mental illness and addiction. I've been in and around the cycles of mental illness/addiction for most of my life, and I've seen families and children's worlds rocked by the constant oscillation from good times to bad times. I'm grateful for all the advancements in treatment and the destigmatization of these illnesses in the public sphere. Without these and the support of my family and friends I could have so easily gotten lost on the road of self medication and wound up just another 'crazy person,' a 'drunk' or a 'junkie.' Whatever you want to call it. I hope this video helps show that these 'crazy people,' 'drunks' and 'junkies' are still PEOPLE with families and children who they desperately want to stop disappointing."

WATCH "THE ONE WHO BREAKS YOUR HEART"

"The One Who Breaks Your Heart" is the current single from SONTALK's critically acclaimed debut album, Stay Wild [Sony Music Masterworks]. Available everywhere now, the 12-track collection follows the personal trials, tribulations and triumphs of LeMay, culminating in an openly honest dialogue between himself and listeners. Having already been met with praise from the likes of Rolling Stone and Consequence of Sound, Stay Wild hints at the vastly expansive sonic and emotional terrain of SONTALK, whose conversation has just begun.

In March, SONTALK made its national TV debut, performing three songs off the new record on CBS This Morning Saturday.

WATCH "I AM A WAR MACHINE" ON CBS THIS MORNING SATURDAY

WATCH "BABY, I'M GONE" ON CBS THIS MORNING SATURDAY

WATCH "THE ONE WHO BREAKS YOUR HEART" ON CBS THIS MORNING SATURDAY

By way of familial candor and visceral vulnerability, Stay Wild, chronicle musician Joseph LeMay's journey of self-reflection, discovery, acceptance and, ultimately, growth. Throughout the creative process, LeMay's path spanned everything from frequent admittance to the psychiatric ward due to intense bouts with bipolar disorder and a suicide in the family to the birth of his son and ultimately, his creative awakening as SONTALK. In 2016, LeMay met producer Jeremy Lutito [Chuck Berry, Colony House] at the suggestion of engineer Logan Matheny. Together, they brought the vision of SONTALK to life, recording Stay Wild alongside Matheny at Big Light Studio.

Stay Wild is grounded by LeMay's powerful vocals and a delicate dissonance of multifarious sonic textures that range from distorted slide guitar transmissions, sequenced beats, vinyl samples and warm electronics. Two "lullabies" bookend the entire 12-song trip, beginning with the minimalist hum, sparse piano, and guitar cries of the title track "Stay Wild," whose lyrics, "express sincere hope to keep innocence alive-even if it's just a flicker." Over the course of the album's trajectory is a deeply emotional journey into LeMay's life, concluding on "Julian," in which a warbly sample gives way to a soft croon that offers an uplifting close to Stay Wild. Ultimately, the message of SONTALK offers a therapeutic and universal wisdom that is meant to be shared for a long time to come.

"Whenever somebody lays themselves bare and is vulnerable, it's easier to empathize," says LeMay. "My hope is that by being honest, I can give listeners something to hold on to. By reflecting, I'd love to help people with their own self-reflection. For others who have had experiences like I've gone through, I hope the music is a consolation. I'm reminding them they're not alone. This is just my version of a universal experience."

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