Too much space brings community disconnect.
Community and connection with others is at the heart of Sari Abbott’s new single, ‘Too Much Space’.
Inspired by the events of the COVID-19 lockdowns and physical distancing, the Sunshine Coast singer-songwriter penned ‘Too Much Space’ when shops closed down and people became worried about being close to each other, in a usually inclusive community.
“I remember walking down to Noosa Junction and everything being closed on a Friday and it was so weird because usually there would be five musicians playing all night,” she said. “It had a feeling of loneliness and emptiness, and everyone got a bit scared of each other. I feel like the whole community went downwards and being a tourist spot, people became suspicious of interstate number plates.”
Sari said she felt disconnected and separated in a community where people were usually talkative and friendly to each other, and so this song was born.
Adding to the COVID-19 theme of the song, ‘Too Much Space’ was penned via a Zoom co-writing session with Cass Hopetoun and Blake Dantier.
“I was feeling like my home was becoming a ghost town and they were feeling the same and had experienced the disconnection between people and community,” Sari said.
With the release of ‘Too Much Space’, Sari hopes to encourage people to reconnect as life returns to normal.
“I think a lot of people are feeling like this, and we are all a community, but suddenly that all changed,” she said.
“As we wrote in the song, I hope we can be side-by-side not miles apart and maybe we can just hit restart and start being people together again. As much as it can’t change people’s opinion on the matter, maybe some people will realise they miss talking to their neighbours and they’ll have a coffee with them and start reconnecting.”
Noosa local Chris Kay shot the accompanying video for ‘Too Much Space’, using the Sunshine Coast as the set.