Outspoken creative Coral, also known as Coral Pitcher, seeks growth on her striking single As I Rise. Best enjoyed alongside its entrancing music video, the song sees Coral revel in the galaxy and visually become one with the universe.
As I Rise is an enchanting track. With its sweeping, shuddering melodies, all the focus rests on Coral's voice and lyricism. She drums in the line, "you are yours to heal", particularly in the closing moments. It's high performance art drama that makes even the simplest statements profound. Instrumentally, the plain yet haunting percussion capture an indigenous feel, building subtly and effectively, and the backing vocals which come in midway through add a unique additional layer and real sense of the strange.
At times, the mix feels less clean and full than it could be, but the nature of the songwriting itself makes this issue melt away. It's a tough job to keep a song this lyrically and instrumentally sparse without stripping it of its power, but Coral pulls it off. Given the core idea of rising above something, however, it would be nice to have some greater depth on what exactly the mystery of healing entails.
Purposeful in its plainness, As I Rise is a learning experience provided by a magical voice on Aotearoa's music scene. If you open your heart and mind to this track, you'll enjoy it in all its glory.
From her very first stage performance, dancing to an audience of 1200 at Hamilton’s Founder’s Theatre, it seemed certain that Coral Pitcher would follow a career on the stage. Three years later she returned to that very same stage as a soloist with Suzanne Prentice and the New Zealand “Kids for Kids” national concert
These early experiences focussed Coral’s life goals and ambitions. Music, quite literally became her life. Every opportunity to learn and grow as a musician was grasped with open arms. The daughter of a solo parent, there wasn’t much ready money available for lessons so Coral threw herself into school program: School Plays, choirs, guitar, piano, and vocal training were all accessed at school. Live performing experience was gained by attending music clubs and festivals, and by busking at the local market every Saturday morning.
As her confidence grew Coral began singing competitively! Starting with school singing competitions, and then moving up to regional and national competitions such as Waikato’s Young Entertainers, Battle of the Bands and Rock-Quest. Often winning or placing in the top three! In 2008 she made it to the semi-finals of TVs New Zealand’s Got Talent”