I’ll try to avoid too much sentimentality whilst writing about the new I See Rivers song ‘Dying Moon’. I first wrote an introduction to them on NMR way back in 2015, and that feature has sat happily on search engines, steadily building up 1000s of views as curious music fans have come across them and searched for their name – firstly when they supported Newton Faulkner on tour, through to increasing exposure as they released new singles, an EP, radio airplay and even appearing on prime-time TV.
At the time I wrote that the girls had a ”natural cohesion that is genuine, rare and pretty special’’, and whilst I may well frequently follow the mantra ”sometimes right, sometimes wrong, always certain’’, I can promise you I was right on this one. I’m just so exited that they’re about to release their debut album.
New single ‘Dying Moon’, was written on ‘a cold and wet night’ in Tenby, and by a lovely coincidence it’s based around possibly my very favourite story, Hemingway’s ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, the tale of an old fisherman who battles with a giant marlin fish (and some sharks) for days and nights – it’s the simplest of stories which has so many layers to it. Anyway on the song I See Rivers say “The song is about devoting your whole soul and all your effort into someone or something, and only realising you've gone too far when it's already too late”.
It’s a melancholy but beautiful track, which for me has resonated more than any of their songs to date – perhaps because of the story it’s based upon. It’s the expression in the vocals that creates such atmosphere in the opening of the song, along with a lovely sounding acoustic guitar, and when their trademarked harmonies kick in, its as if they’re wrapping the softest of comfort blankets around the whole thing.
It was released today.
How good is that?
It’s just the biggest privilege offering that bit of support to artists such as I See Rivers, because this is an industry where so many people want to take their ‘cut’ from musicians who really just want to sing and express themselves – and in the case of I See Rivers, laugh a lot. An artist thanked me for the ‘free PR’ last week, which was appreciated because we understand the necessities and challenges of promotion, but with all the artists we write about, and particularly with I See Rivers, it’s simply about sharing a little bit of love.
Their debut album ‘Deep and Rolling Green’ comes out on October 2nd. Find them on Facebook. Or Instagram.
Photo by Flore Diamant.