A haunting acoustic ballad about the aftermath of losing someone close to you, Since You’ve Been Gone is a reflective look at life after death, and the struggle that comes with trying to go about everyday life when you’ve lost someone special.

Flying Man is Irish-born, Dunedin based musician Alan Ned Gray. A successful songwriter with Irish band Lucas, who released three albums, Flying Man is Gray’s debut solo project. A fusion of acoustic guitars, eerie harmonies, accompanied by electronic sounds, Since You've Been Gone is Gray's first solo single.

Since You’ve Been Gone is a simple acoustic tune, with verses that paint a vivid picture in the listener's mind of the mundaneness of everyday tasks. The chorus is short yet effective, with the line "Since you've been gone, I don't wanna live here anymore," echoed by a chorus of eerie harmonies. The track is thought provoking and honest, but ultimately very catchy, and I found myself humming along hours after I'd stopped listening. Despite the sad subject matter, the track is hopeful and reassuring with its beautiful acoustic backing.

Flying Man is set to release more songs this year, which promise to vary in both subject matter and sound. I look forward to hearing what else this new artist has to offer.