Ken Newman leaps out of the gate with a shuffling bluesy drum beat that launches him into a cutting commentary of society’s relationship with social media. Necks bent forward, faces illuminated by a small screen, most of the people that populate the video for ‘Talk to You’ are staring at their smartphones. As his band careens into the chorus there are finally shots of those who have broken free of the spell and are enjoying their time with friends and family. The horn section absolutely cooks on this song and Newman lets them stretch out and solo with abandon.
About writing the song New says, “There’s a rather odd aspect to this song. And it’s all about context. When I wrote it, I was thinking of it as a statement on the emptiness of social media, and the fact that we really want to just “Talk To Each Other.” I couldn’t possibly have known that about a year after it was written, I’d be relying on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Zoom to connect with the world, in business, in music and personally. Social media became pretty much all I had…all ANY of us had.”
Newman also puts his money where his mouth is. He is combining music and art to help people’s lives on the streets. Through his charity, Blanket the Homeless, Newman has used his musical talents to inspire change and take action, donating money from his sold-out release show and album to Ukraine and the San Francisco homeless community.
