“I’m a socialist. I’m an idealist.” OK, now you’ve got my attention. These words are at the core of Central Coast songwriter Thomas Keating’s new single, ‘Lunatic’, which is out everywhere this Friday, 29th October.
Keating describes his music as somewhere between Ben Lee and Ben Wright Smith, and both influences shine through on ‘Lunatic’. Though, as Triple J’s Declan Byrne said of Keating’s previous single, ‘Cold Night’, “I can hear you coming through as well, which is obviously a great thing.”
Keating had one goal in mind when it came to writing ‘Lunatic’: “I really wanted to have fun with this track,” he said. “It’s been such an insane couple of years and I am tired of taking myself and the world too seriously.”
The song’s music video is an amusing homespun animation, which depicts Prime Minister Scott Morrison, ousted NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews playing instruments over images of global protest and military intervention.
Despite its subject matter, Keating said the music video is not an explicit act of protest. “I believe that our politicians left and right have had the hardest task in the past 18 months leading our country through uncharted waters. And I would not want to be in their shoes.
“I thought, wouldn’t it be great to be in a band with Scott, Gladys and Dan – Like it would never happen! This is me in my own weird way trying to celebrate our move forward out of the past couple of insane and bizarre years we have just been through.”
Keating, who also cites the likes of Oh Mercy and The Triffids as influences, released his debut album, That Old Eye In My Mind, in late 2020. Take a look at the ‘Lunatic’ video below ahead of the track’s official release this Friday.
