Sam Brookes has been through a lot.
New album 'Black Feathers' is marked by grief, by the end of relationships, and the opening up of new possibilities.
Songs informed by trauma and resilience, it's a challenging listen, but also a beautiful one, driven by folk textures, jazz leanings, and Sam's beautifully evocative voice.
Out on October 23rd, it's led by gorgeous new song 'Ekarma', a piece that dips and soars with a life of its own.
Wonderfully organic, 'Ekarma' was laid down at the Bert Jansch Studio, located in a small village close to Bath.
There's a sense of peace running through the music, one that contrasts with the heavily introspective lyricism.
We're able to share the video for 'Ekarma' and it enacts a crow metaphor to build on the themes running through the song.
He comments: "The crow character in the video is inspired by the Max Porter book ‘Grief is the thing with feathers’ in which a human size crow comes to stay with a father and his two children after they lose their mother."
"My crow resembles the struggle, frustration and isolation that you can experience in a relationship. The crow tries to save the couple, to send them signs, but they are numb, lost in their own struggles. The crow is the answer but also represents the gulf between them and if only they could see him they would understand."
Tune in now.
Photo Credit: Sarah Cresswell
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