Northside singer-songwriter turns the ‘saddest spring’ into song
Joel Lindsey’s new single, “The World Will Heal in Time,” is a message of hope during bleak times.
Photo of Northside singer-songwriter Joel Lindsey with his guitar by Amy Lindsey
By Katia Faroun
As the world spent the spring season inside consumed by the news of the novel coronavirus infections, musician and resident of Marshall-Shadeland Joel Lindsey spent it watching the tulips grow and his son playing in the mint in their backyard. Instead of dwelling on the numbers, he decided to write a song.
Lindsey released “The World Will Heal in Time” on April 11, as half a million Americans were diagnosed with COVID-19 and Allegheny County was first in the midst of an upward trend of infections. The song was inspired by the bleakness of events surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak contrasted with the rebirth and hope that comes with the spring season.
Lindsey found inspiration for the single as he was watching his two-year-old son, Levi, playing in their backyard. As he watched Levi playing in the mint that his wife, Amy, had planted the year before, he noticed how the seasons were changing.
“I started to look around us at the emergence of spring,” Lindsey said via a press release. “Lilac and white blossoms on the trees, the grass growing tall, the bush leaves thickening and the wild onions popping up. Bees, birds, life.”
Lindsey found hope in this promise of new life. While his family was experiencing “the saddest, loneliest spring [they] had ever known,” the life he found in his backyard reminded him of the certainty of restoration.
Originally from London, Lindsey moved to Pittsburgh in 2007 to begin his life as a full-time musician. He’s toured throughout the U.S. and internationally in Italy and his home country in the U.K. Any other spring, Lindsey would be playing in bars, restaurants, and casinos and at weddings and birthday parties, performing solo or with his band, Boulevard of the Allies. With the shutdown of most businesses, Lindsey is facing unemployment, along with millions of Americans.
In compliance with Pittsburgh’s stay-at-home order implemented throughout April, Lindsey recorded the single in his home, completing the audio and accompanying music video of the song within 12 days of that moment in his backyard.
“Prior to this, I’ve pondered songs for months and found it hard to complete anything. But I have had a lot swirling around my mind on the subject, so in one moment this song just poured out,” Lindsey said.
Lindsey understood the dampening effect of the pandemic on artists’ motivation and encouraged fellow artists who may feel guilty about the absence of inspiration.
“These are trying times for our minds and imaginations… We’re all just trying to cope and process what is happening in our world,” Lindsey said. “Artists shouldn’t be made to feel guilt for not creating.”
Although written and released during a time of shared loss and fear throughout the world, Lindsey wanted his song to provide listeners with optimism.
“I didn’t want to make a sad song that made people feel even worse—rather, I wanted to send a message of hope to lift spirits,” Lindsey said. “I also hope that it will inspire others to bring some positivity to those around them. We all need it.”
“The World Will Heal in Time” can be found on Lindsey’s YouTube channel and is available for download on Bandcamp.
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