When you think of trendy musical scenes, Portland, Maine might not be first on your list. Yet the homespun, heartwarming music of family-oriented indie folk group GoldenOak provides evidence that the dense woods of the Pine Tree State might just be a better muse than the slick streets of New York and LA. That music scene has thrown its arms around GoldenOak, and, in return, the band is helping to draw more attention to it with their excellent new songs.
GoldenOak is driven by the songwriting and harmonies of the brother-sister duo Zak and Lena Kendall. After a bit of a recording hiatus and a shift in personnel, the group is back with an enchanting pair of songs. “River” and “Poet And The Painter” find this collective simultaneously building on previous strengths while also striking out in an interesting new direction. Both are due out on April 12th.
Today Glide is excited to premiere one of the duo’s two new songs, “River”, which finds them in fine form as they ease into a rich, soulful Americana sound that comes courtesy of Lena Kendall’s enchanting vocals.
Zak points out that, “When I wrote ‘River’, I said to Lena, “I’m writing this song, but I want you to sing it.” That was the first time that I had written lyrics for Lena to sing. And so it really became the closest to a partnership that it’s ever been for us. We were really working closely together on this new stuff.”
“River” manages to seamlessly connect two different pieces of music that Zak had been writing. The moody music, accompanying verses about how political shifts are mirrored by the changing seasons, segues into a more upbeat outro, connected by a gorgeous moment of brother and sister singing a cappella, “I’ve come to witness the things I can’t see.” There is a powerful and truly original vibe to the song as it blends more acoustic, folky musical parts with lush orchestration. At the center of it all is the beautiful harmonies of Zak and Lena, who possess a natural musical chemistry.
LISTEN:
Web: http://www.goldenoakband.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoldenOak-269662336517667/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/goldenoakband
Photo credit: Heather M. Bowes
One Response
Authentic and lyrical as our own American history. GoldenOak is a voice that shows us what we miss if we don’t slow down and pay attention to what is all around us. Beautiful indeed.