Music News - South For Winter Unveils Ethereal New Concept Album, 'Of Sea and Sky'
16 May 2024 - 0 Comments
South for Winter, the boundary-pushing folk-rock band from New Zealand and Nashville, renowned for their enchanting melodies and introspective lyricism, is set to release their highly anticipated album Of Sea and Sky today. The album promises to take listeners on a genre-bending voyage through the depths of emotion and vast expanse of the universe, with hints of the album’s nature revealed in the six singles released leading up to it; starting with the ethereal, harmony-laden first single Something in the Stars, and ending with bluegrass-tinged murder ballad This Man Will Be the Death of Me.
Recorded and produced in Nashville TN alongside two-time Grammy award-winner, Matt Leigh, Of Sea and Sky captures the essence of South For Winter's signature genre-bending style while continuing to push their sonic boundaries. With lush instrumentation and haunting vocals, the album weaves a tapestry of stories unified by celestial and maritime elements while simultaneously exploring themes of creation, destruction, and the unyielding forces of nature.
From the delicate guitar-cello instrumental that opens the album, Tears of an Albatross (Part 1), listeners are beckoned onto a diverse musical journey. One minute, they’re being pulled into the dreamy world of Sky Side (Side A) with finger-picked guitar, angelic vocals, and emotive cello; and the next, they’re dragged into the depths of Sea Side (Side B) with swampy blues licks, roared melodies, and heavy rock rhythms. Each lyric and soundscape has been meticulously crafted to fit its corresponding album side, emphasizing the thread that weaves these fourteen songs into one seamless creation. South for Winter’s proficiency at melding genres into one unique sound has once again been proven, and each track on the album Of Sea and Sky invites listeners to immerse themselves into the band’s world of beauty and wonder.
Lead guitarist and songwriter Nick Stone reveals that the album took years of brainstorming to conceptualize. “We had a lot of time to think about the direction we wanted to go in while we were touring together in a van,” says Stone. “We knew we wanted to lean into a bluesier sound for Sea Side, since that fits the theme - and we also knew we wanted to pull inspiration from post-rock music for Sky Side, since that fits that theme. Trying to combine our influences into one cohesive sound has been our goal for years, and this album feels like we’ve finally figured it out.”
Lead singer and songwriter Dani Stone describes the album as both a creative and artistic challenge, to which the band rose to the occasion. "From the moment we had the idea for this concept album, every choice had to be really intentional," she says. "Like the amount of reverb on the vocals, the simplified drum parts that give the acoustic instruments room to breathe, the song stories and the lyrical choices… everything had to fit the album’s concept perfectly. We did lots of pre-production, re-writing, song critiques, and touring for two years before recording, to make sure we could achieve the vision we wanted - and we’re really proud that we managed to do it.”
Of Sea and Sky is now available on all major streaming platforms. Fans can also pre-purchase physical copies of the album here.
Photo Credit: Jeff Fasano
Album Artwork: Derik Hobbs
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