Twin Bridges’ Zach Gerzon found solace in writing songs on a cello after experiencing the sudden passing of a parent and enduring romantic heartbreak. The tonalities of the instrument lent his darkly melodic indie-rock a beautifully haunting resonance that can be heard on his band’s emotive and cathartic debut, Fertile Ashes.
Twin Bridges’s melancholic aesthetic is the result of fusing classical and chamber music’s instrumentation and musicality with folk and indie-rock. The band’s music is sonically aligned with artists such as Andrew Bird, My Brightest Diamond, Takenobu, Kishi Bashi, and Arthur Russell.
Zach is a self-taught cellist with a background as a multi-instrumentalist playing punk, country, and bluegrass on guitar, bass, and drums. Twin Bridges started as a solo project, but it has evolved into more of a band setting with Zach’s gifted circle of musician friends contributing to live shows and recordings. The cast for Fertile Ashes includes Zach on cello, lead vocals, and engineering; Kylie Mcdermot on trumpet; Julia Michel on clarinet and saxophone; Chris Lazerek on bass clarinet; Jeff Kuhns on bassoon; Margaret Wehr on violin; and additional vocalists Lindsay Clark, Erisy Watt, Jeremy Ferarra, and Chloe Serkissian.
Zach wrote the music for Fertile Ashes during a transient period in his life when he drifted around New Mexico and Colorado before settling in Oregon. The awe-inspiring nature of these states is reflected in his songs. The album’s intimate production aesthetic reflects its earthy creative journey. Songs were tracked in a bevy of vibey loft and barn settings with Zach engineering, producing, arranging, and writing parts on cello for many other instruments.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the video for EP’s cinematic new single, “Carbon & Dust,” which features dreamy vocals, composed melodies brimming with a yearning musicality, and an intriguing arrangement all tied together by a snappy groove. Indeed, this is dark and thoughtful pop music that incorporates Zach’s orchestration in a way that feels organic and inspired. The dream-like animation complements the music, which is layered and ponderous to match the sparse vocals featuring lyrics that reflect on themes of grief and heartbreak.
Zach describes the inspiration behind the song:
For Carbon & Dust, It’s a bit morbid, but some years ago I was having recurring dreams where I was having conversations with a parent that had passed away suddenly. Sometimes it feels like our subconscious is trying to work out unresolved baggage through dreams. Writing songs or making art are a way for artists to work these things out consciously I think. I was hearing the complete song in my head but it needed more instruments. Friends I had met recently in 2018 helped me piece it together & bring it to life in my old cabin loft. My hope is it resonates with someone that’s going through grief and loss.
Durnis Markov (music video director) describes the video concept:
The animation is focused in limbo. In a hand drawn, frame by frame fashion. Following a fatal car crash a man and woman reunite for the last time in this forest between life and death. She relives his fate and helps him on his journey to the after life. I attempted to make a story of a window in which we see our most horrific and beloved moments. As we shift from this place to the next.
WATCH:
