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saudade is singer-songwriter Saulo von Seehausen’s new musical project. Better known as the frontman for Brazilian post-hardcore band Hover, Seehausen puts distorted and high-pitched vocals aside and ventures into a new sound identity.

‘It sounds nothing like Hover but it still sounds just like me. It’ll be the first time ever I’ll be releasing material that’s sung in Portuguese – my native tongue – so it has been kind of weird, but also thrilling, artistically speaking. I guess it is just the way music has to be.’ states the 29-year-old musician, still a freshman at being all alone on the stage.

– Since the beginning of saudade, even back when I was writing the songs, it was hard for me not to rely on inputs and insights from other people, like I’m used to as a band member. But that was just what I was looking for: being out of my comfort zone, challenging myself musically, making something that would be totally different from what I’ve been doing with Hover but still representative of who I am.

The first songs released, “Botões” and “jantaradois” – meaning “Buttons” and “dinnerfortwo” – hit that very spot. The laidback, Bossa Nova-esque sounding of the first creates a dense yet simple environment, as Saulo starts singing about wanting to have a button to stop him from being himself – giving sense to the “attempt to do something different” thematic.
It goes on into a chorus that walks between ambient piano/nylon guitar chords and glitchy cutting laser-like synthesizers, but keeping the introspective/dreamy mood.

In case you are wondering, “saudade” is the Portuguese word that describes the feeling of missing something or someone. And just as this kind of feeling goes, Seehausen’s new music takes you to that nostalgic – but hopeful – place, sounding simple and classic, yet polished and fresh.