Tag Archives: alt-folk

Soothe Your Nerves with Old Sea Brigade’s ‘Polygraph’

Photo credit: Rebecka Wendesten

Today, we invite you to take a break from the chaos. Relax. Reflect. Cast your fears and worries away.

We’re happy to lend you a hand on this mission by offering “Polygraph,” the latest from Sweden-based Old Sea Brigade (the artist project of musician Ben Cramer). This mellow dreamscape features soothing piano tones on top of a calming acoustic foundation, giving us peace and perspective in times of uncertainty.

“‘Polygraph’ is a song all about the fear of the unknown and how that can manifest into anxiety,” Cramer said. “It’s about when you take a big step into a new phase in your life when those big changes actually happen, and you suddenly freak out and wonder… ‘was this the right step?’ but you feel bad for even thinking that. ‘Polygraph’ is about riding that out, letting it pass, and is meant to be an antidote to all that, to remind you… you don’t have to slow-dance with the next thought you have.”

Cramer is no stranger to the unknown. Born in Atlanta and previously residing in Nashville, he and his wife experienced a major life shift by relocating to Gothenburg, Sweden and welcoming their first child. Through “Polygraph,” Cramer illustrates how he found his own reassurance — and even provided us with some serene visuals, for good measure.

See what we mean below, and feel free to meditate on this one.

Is the Destination More Important, or the Journey?

As you begin another week of pursuing your dreams, please remember that the journey is often more important and valuable than the destination itself.

Our friend Carlos Barata is back to reinforce that idea with “Please Know This For Sure.” This upbeat folk offering sways with positivity, as Barata (accompanied by special guest mandolinist Ryan Guillen) offers us perspective through the rigors of the creative grind.

“‘Please Know This For Sure’ is just a simple and sweet self-affirmation of those relentless pursuits of fulfillment, meaning, and connection we all have – despite the inevitable hardships, judgement, and rejection that might come along the way,” Barata said. “In my own experiences, a lot of beauty has come from trying, falling short, and going for it anyway. I hope this song resonates with whatever pursuits you’re facing now.”

Musically, “Please Know This For Sure” is well-crafted, both in its intricacy and in the way the sonic landscape supports the song’s message. The tune was tracked independently at The Music District in Fort Collins, CO, and mixed and mastered by Brooklyn-based engineers Kory Burrell and Jesse Morvan.

“On percussion, Brett Ross throws down an unexpected, Pleña-like latin rhythm on a pretty basic folk song that really drives the momentum and gives the tune a different flare that I just love,” Barata notes. “The Hammond organ in the second verse is intended to represent those moments of uplifting clarity we’ll get through the trials we face — the “a-ha” light-bulb moments.”

Give this one a chance to inspire you!

WATCH: The Steel Wheels Learn We Can’t Always Be the ‘Hero’

Photo credit: Mike Lee

What a powerful realization, to understand that we can’t always rescue the ones we love.

The Steel Wheels examine the limited power mere mortals possess on “Hero,” their new single from the forthcoming album, Sideways (Feb. 9). The single was inspired by frontman Trent Wagler trying to help one of his children through a mental health crisis, and the ensuing realization that we can’t always be the hero in everyone’s story.

“‘Hero’ was written to describe the way we all cast ourselves in the leading role of our story, while also touching on some of the particular pitfalls of a white, straight, cis-gendered man trying to ‘help’ or ‘fix’ situations where I just need to be in a supporting role,” shares Wagler. “I wrote this song in the midst of trying to help my child in a serious mental health crisis, needing to be OK with it being their story, and really taking a back seat to try to listen and understand exactly what they were needing in the moment, rather than what I needed to tell them about the situation they were in.” 

“Hero” is accompanied by a music video featuring the band in a contemplative dance routine opposite Wagler’s daughter and several of her friends, all of whom are enrolled in Virginia Commonwealth University’s dance and choreography program. At first, the two “troupes” perform separately, as if to illustrate the disconnect between the “fixer” and individual in crisis. In the end, however, the two sides come together, demonstrating the shared understanding that comes from listening to the needs of another.

UMC20: Summertime Magic (June 21, 2023)

Hold it right there!

Did you know that you can support Underground Music Collective, any time of year? By making a tax-deductible donation to UMC via The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville, you ensure that we can keep sharing songs and stories from independent creatives everywhere, for years to come. Click here to get started!

Anyway, onto this week’s edition of UMC20

Listen to UMC20

UMC20: Across Genre Lines (May 23, 2023)

Hold it right there!

Did you know that you can support Underground Music Collective, any time of year? By making a tax-deductible donation to UMC via The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville, you ensure that we can keep sharing songs and stories from independent creatives everywhere, for years to come. Click here to get started!

Anyway, onto this week’s edition of UMC20

Listen to UMC20

LISTEN: AGE of the BEAR Wows Us (Again) with ‘Waterfell’

We’ve known the incredibly talented Anthony Cubbage since our shared time in Pennsylvania, during the days of a little upstart music blog called Lehigh Valley Underground.

Life has since taken us to different locations. As you may know, we rebranded and arrived in Nashville in 2018, while Cubbage relocated to a burgeoning original music scene in upstate New York a couple years back. Through it all, one thing that has remained consistent is Cubbage’s ability to write and release compelling, emotive songs. No matter the genre, he always seems to strike gold.

Read more

LISTEN: Greg in Good Company Makes Us Feel at ‘HOME’

Artwork: Lee Schneiderman

For years, we’ve had the opportunity to appreciate the work of Greg in Good Company, fronted by Los Angeles-based troubadour Greg Gilman.

They’re back for 2023 with “HOME,” a rollicking new single that explores mental illness from varying perspectives.

Hear the Single

UMC20: April Showers Us with New Jams (Apr. 4, 2023)

Hold it right there!

Did you know that you can support Underground Music Collective, any time of year? By making a tax-deductible donation to UMC via The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville, you ensure that we can keep sharing songs and stories from independent creatives everywhere, for years to come. Click here to get started!

Anyway, onto this week’s edition of UMC20

Listen to UMC20

REVIEW: Harlan, Saved Comes to the Rescue with ‘1958’

Dylan Odom — the Savannah, GA-based songsmith behind Harlan, Saved — didn’t act alone when he set out to release the project’s first EP, 1958. As good fortune would have it, he was able to enlist the help of his all-time favorite band.

Learn more and listen!
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