While Sea Caves were writing and nearly done recording their third album, Across the Water, due out on November 15th, it became apparent to founding member Shiloh Halsey that something was missing from the band. Choosing wisely not to ignore this notion, Halsey decided to fire himself as the lead singer and find someone new to fill the role.
Sydney Rohrs, meanwhile, was moving back to Portland a year after a difficult breakup. A lifelong singer who’d never had the courage to pursue music seriously, Rohrs sought to abandon her comfort zone and try something she hadn’t found the mettle to do before.
The connection was instant. Sydney re-recorded the vocals for the album transforming it into something heartfelt and impelling: a sonata of mysterious links and striking anecdotes that feels as good as it sounds. Sea Caves became a brand new band, and the album took on a whole new meaning.
Today Glide is excited to offer an exclusive early listen of Across the Water, which finds the band taking a fresh and unique approach to their sound. From the opening notes of lead track “Dart”, there is a sense of revelatory euphoria as if the band has truly just discovered a special chemistry. This manifests itself in the form of thoughtful indie pop, and it’s easy to hear influences like Big Thief, El Ten Eleven, and The Sea and Cake. The band lets Sydney Rohrs’ angelic vocals come front and center, layering in delicate harmonies throughout the songs. Rich instrumentation on the part of all band members gives the album a dreamy feel that even rocks at times as songs swell and break like waves. As a whole, Across the Water feels like an expansive and lavish victory lap as the band operates around the assumption that change is unsettling yet necessary. Referencing the oddness of moving away from people in your life and learning to understand discontent and disconnection, Sea Caves acknowledges the strangeness of everything and gets excited to move forward. This feeling absolutely translates to the music.Â
Guitarist Shiloh Halsey sheds some light on the process and inspiration behind the album:
“The songs on ‘Across the Water’ began during late nights at the piano and early mornings with a guitar overlooking forests and creeks. ‘Across the Water’ represents an evolution for Sea Caves. Most of these songs have been part of us for a few years and they’ve been a foundation that has helped us navigate various changes and challenges. Overall, this set of songs is a step in a different direction for us, and we see it as something that offers us a chance to explore new future paths and take our music on the road to new parts of the country.”Â
LISTEN:
Across the Water is out November 15th. Check out tour dates below and visit https://www.seacavesmusic.com/ for more info.
November 16th // Portland, OR // Bunk Bar
November 23rd // Olympia, WA // Octapas
December 7th // Seattle, WA // Cafe Racer
December 13th // Eugene, OR // Sam Bond’s Garage
January 9th // Portland, OR // Holocene
Photo credit:Â Michael Sulis
