Mad Lasso - “St. Sebastian”

Photo: Scout Hunt

Advocating for mental health is definitely within our wheelhouse and when an artist can create works of art directly from the struggle, we are going to jump all over it. This is how we met Franklin Smith Ellis, aka Mad Lasso, who wrote the magnificent track, “St. Sebastian,” upon experiencing a personal struggle. It is simply everything we look for in a folk song and something everyone should hear immediately.

Whether you are going through something profound or simply staring out the window, wondering where your life went, “St. Sebastian” is the perfect soundtrack. And knowing that it was born from some sort of cathartic event makes the experience even more perfecto. The song begins the same way Lord Huron probably wishes all of their songs could begin, with the tender strums of a reverberated guitar and some tremolo effects from a melodic lead– it is quite soothing and melancholic from the start. And when Ellis’ vocal comes in, this sensation is both amplified and justified. An organ opens up the landscape in the background and you might find yourself wondering where this song has been your entire life. Though it is a sparse recording, every instrument is carefully placed inside of its perfect position.

“St. Sebastian” comes from Mad Lasso’s EP, Sad Lasso Pt. II, and we are about to dive into the rest of it, just as you should be doing while patiently waiting for all of his future releases.

For those of you who simply cannot wait to get started on the entire EP, here you go:

-TM