Three Feathers are an Oakura duo established in 2013 and made up of Mike Lee and Mae Silver. Gambling on Love is the third single from their debut album, which is due for release later in 2019.
The first few seconds of Gambling on Love might trick the listener into thinking they have stumbled upon just another Kiwi soft rock song, but as soon as the guitar kicks in the track mellows out and unfolds into much more.
Gambling on Love has a nostalgic, cinematic feel, with layered guitars making the most of fuzz, reverb, and tremolo to bring flavour to what could easily have been a bland piece. Instead, the easy-going, no-fuss performance, along with a few carefully placed unpredictable chords and fills, builds a wonderfully wistful mood - and at three and a half minutes, it feels like it’s over too soon.
The video accompanying the single puts a different spin on that mood, following a young boy on his way to a memorial site after the Christchurch shooting. As the music shifts into a more hopeful tone, the video moves to news footage of crowds gathering at these sites, and it all culminates in a single, powerful haka.