Sometimes love is simply what helps people get through the darkest of times, and this is the message in the new track “You Are The Light” by The Radiance, which is inspired by tragically losing a spouse to COVID, but having a beautiful daughter to push through.
Singer/Songwriter Adam Kwartowitz lost his wife, Shoshana Davis, to COVID-19 in March 2020, making the 35-year-old one of the first to die of the disease in the U.S. He and his daughter, Sienna, also were infected, and despite being horribly sick, they survived. This was one of the most trying times Kwartowitz could ever imagine, but he said his little three-year-old daughter was a light to get him through.
“I started writing letters and books so that if I didn’t make it, my daughter would know who her parents were, and that she was loved,” Kwartowitz said. “One of the things that kept coming to mind was that it was so freaking dark right now, but she’s the light.”
He wrote a series of songs and sat on the notebook, saying that as he and Sienna got better and time went on, it didn’t feel like he wanted to uncover that again. A couple months back he was going through some songs of his, and that is when he rediscovered “You Are The Light.”
Kwartowitz went back and reworked the ending, saying that originally the song was in the past tense the whole way through saying, with the chorus saying “you were the light.”
“Now it also says ‘you are the light’ to recognize that she was what kept me alive even in a spiritual sense,” he said. “She is the reason why I am here telling you this story. There is a feeling where I am here for her, and when I follow her and do what I can for her, life tends to work itself out.”
Kwartowitz wrote the song and played all the instruments on the demo, but then hired acclaimed David Kershenbaum of Tracy Chapman fame to be his producer. Kwartowitz does play guitar on the track, but Kershenbaum brought in a collection of world class musicians to bring his song to life under the band name The Radiance.
It has an uplifting feel, and some sweet guitar solos that exude a vibe of positivity and joy. The sound touches on Gospel, but has an over-encompassing sense of good old fashioned rock.
While the song is personal, it is a message and theme that will touch anyone to the core. The feeling of radiant energy blasts into the airwaves through an anthemic display of emotion. The Radiance is able to harness that feeling of love, sadness, resilience and rising up all into one track.
“It transcends my story, and is uplifting for anyone who is suffering or even challenged to find direction in life,” Kwartowitz said. “Everybody has that light. It doesn’t have to be my daughter, it can whatever it is for somebody else.”
Kwartowitz said that for many years he was a session guitar player, but he put it down to go to school and have a family. Music had always been the “North Star” for him, serving as a source of therapy. This helped immensely over the past four years since his wife passed, and as time has gone on he has invested more into in his music.
“We have a great session band, and they’re great people that I never thought I’d get a chance to work with who have really helped to make my visions come true,” Kwartowitz said. “In a lot of ways, the strength of my ability to write and generate music, and get it heard, is a big part of my journey, too.”
Kwartowitz wants listeners to hear this song and feel encouraged that no matter how bad things can get in life, there’s always something to guide them out.
“The story we went through, while tragic and sad, should be inspirational,” Kwartowitz said. “I was out of shape and I lost almost 100 pounds to take care of my daughter. I ran the New York City Marathon this year. Through this process I really turned myself around, and it is emblematic of what you can do in these situations.”
Kwartowitz has a goal of sharing hope during a time where some may not feel like there is any. He hopes the world will listen to his music and be inspired by his journey of overcoming loss, and striving toward resilience.
The Radiance is releasing “You Are The Light” on November 22 and it will be available on all platforms.
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