Lauren Malasig and Steve McKenzie are CommonUnion59. Hailing from San Francisco, the pianist and guitarist mesh their vocals to develop straight-shooting folk music. Redolent of the American folk movements of the 60s and 70s, their lyrical focus waxes philosophy on standard elements of love and life that we can all relate to.
Moving laterally towards this established goal is ‘Borrowed Time’, one of CommonUnion59’s latest singles. Dealing with more macabre circumstance than prior releases, the tune reminds us to be wary of the dangers of life. In particular, as seen in their music video, the duo sets the spotlight on the threat of nuclear warfare that still very much plays a part in our current political field, even if it isn’t as apparent as it once was.
Musically, CommonUnion59 lives up to a promise of simplicity. Besides of twangy guitar tones, all that’s at play here are McKenzie and Malasig’s vocals and some foot-stomping percussion. It’s enough to develop a swampy, harrowing folk tune.
Regarding ‘Borrowed Time’, CommonUnion59 states, “When we were almost finished with the video, we sent it to the folks at The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. They liked it and allowed us to use the ‘Doomsday Clock’ and their quote, ‘The new abnormal. It is STILL 2 minutes to midnight!'”
“The subject of nuclear annihilation has currently faded to the background but the threat is still very real and present. We wanted to highlight that.”
Words by: Jonathan Frahm