New Zealand alt-country artist Arun O’Connor introduces his new single, “Too Far Gone,” a track from his forthcoming debut album, Songs From the Reading Room.
Arun explains, “‘Too Far Gone’ is a song about the mistakes we make in life. All the bad choices that lead us down the roads we don’t want to go down. It is a song that will hopefully make us question our own intentions and reevaluate what is most important in our lives. Maybe we deserve that second chance. Maybe we can change and be the person we had always set out to be. Too far gone speaks of a seemingly never-ending cycle of mistakes and regrets but with a stubbornness of not wholeheartedly wanting to change.”
Talking about the song’s genesis and recording, he adds, “I wrote this song with Nashville songwriters, Ryan Sorestad, Brittany Knott, and Taylor Nash over a zoom call during lockdown here in NZ. The song was then recorded in Pentavarit Studios, Nashville, using members from artists’ bands such as Eric Church, Brothers Osbourne, Colbie Caillat, and Randy Houser. I recorded my parts in Auckland’s well-known Roundhead Studio, owned by Crowded House’s Neil Finn.”
While growing up in Invercargill, Arun fell under the spell of country artists such as Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, and Patsy Cline. When watching the Eagles’ Hell Freezes Over performance, he decided to play guitar rather than the drums. By the time he turned 15, he was playing at local venues and functions. His instrumental talent soon translated into a music career, working with Jody Direen, who shared the stage with Kenny Rogers, LeAnn Rimes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Scott McCreery.
Along with fronting the cover band Small Feet, Arun is an in-demand session and touring musician, and musical director for New Zealand country artists Jody Direen, Kayla Mahon, and The Heartleys. In 2018, he won the Southland Musician of the Year Award, as well as Senior Overall Award, Open Vocal Group, Senior Male Vocal, Senior NZ Song, and New Country Category at the Gold Guitar Awards.
The prize for Senior Male Vocal included recording a single in Nashville with producer Jay Tooke. There was one small hiccup – Arun, despite his vast experience, had never written an original song. Nevertheless, he discovered he had a natural gift for songwriting, resulting in a dazzling country-blues ballad, “Following the Line,” which went on to collect more than 133,000 streams on Spotify, along with topping the charts in New Zealand.
He followed with “Let Go of My Heart,” which took the number one spot on NZ iTunes Country Chart, and the third position on NZ iTunes Overall Chart.
“Too Far Gone” opens on gleaming guitars riding a vibrant rhythm. A sparkling piano and delicious guitar accent imbue the tune with sumptuous colors. Arun’s crème de la crème voice infuses the lyrics with profound passion and swanky country-laced timbres. It’s stellar voice, rich and expressive.
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“Am I too far gone for you to pull me in / Seems every time, I’m crossing that line / I’m back to the start again / I can’t go back to the way I was before / One last break of your heart you’ll take / Before you close the door on me… / Not sure how I’ll carry on / Am I too far gone?”
Wow! “Too Far Gone” teems with luscious country flavors and the deluxe vocals of Arun O’Connor. It’s no surprise the song is being played in GAP and Old Navy outlets throughout the U.S.
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