Connecticut singer/songwriter harf. makes the bittersweet business of growing older sound positively golden on “Radio,” an enchanting, ‘70s-inspired piano pop gem whose buoyant melodies and lush, layered harmonies carry a heartfelt story of old friends, diverging paths, and the fear of falling behind. With an irresistible chorus and a storyteller’s gift for finding meaning in everyday life, he reminds us that growing up means finding our own way while keeping the door open for the people who helped shape us.

Stream: “Radio” – harf.

An old friend’s wedding announcement can make you smile and, in the very same breath, wonder whether you’re falling behind.

On his warm and wistful single “Radio,” harf. captures that complicated feeling with disarming sincerity, reflecting on the different paths our lives take and the people we grow apart from along the way. His down-to-earth storytelling unfolds through gently swaying, ’70s-inspired piano pop, blossoming into a lush, dreamy chorus whose layered harmonies make an intimate confession feel wonderfully larger than life. Beneath its sweet nostalgia lies a heartfelt longing to find your place in the world while remaining close to the people who matter most.

Grace just got married
On the upper east side
And soon they’ll be sharing
Such a comfortable life

Well, I’m still the same
scared little boy
After all this time
And she’s far away,
in her own little world

Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Radio,” the irresistibly melodic second single from harf., the musical project of Connecticut singer/songwriter Will Harford. Arriving November 6 via Cloverdale Records, the song follows September’s “I Already Believe” and offers another enticing glimpse into his forthcoming sophomore album. A fast-rising indie folk storyteller, Harford has plenty to celebrate: His 2025 debut, Carve, amassed millions of streams, sent him on tour with Houndmouth, and helped him sell out Brooklyn’s 650-capacity Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Now, he’s embracing an exciting creative evolution, building on the intimate, guitar-driven indie folk of his debut with a colorful, piano-forward sound that draws inspiration from the timeless musicality of Carole King, Harry Nilsson, and the great singer/songwriters of the ’70s. It’s a thrilling next chapter for an artist whose gift for making the personal feel universal has only grown stronger.

I’ve met a hundred divorcees
And they got the same gleam in their eyes as me
We give it all up, just to start over clean
To start all over again

It’s time that I’m leaving
Yea, I’ve got to go
I’m finally needed on the radio
But if you really need me you can let me know
And I’ll be hangin
In my own little world

“This is music I’ve always wanted to make, but I haven’t had the ability to,” Harford tells Atwood Magazine. “I was burnt out on writing on guitar, and I wanted some more variety in my sound, so revisiting and improving on piano inspired a lot of new songs for this album. The retro sound happened somewhat naturally, when I realized how good myself, Noah, and Ben sounded live in the studio. The ‘retro’ sound is really just a result of a process similar to how older records were made.”

“Radio” wears that approach beautifully. Playful piano flourishes curl around Harford’s conversational delivery, giving the verses the easy intimacy of a story told across a kitchen table.

His melodies are effortlessly inviting, even as the words reveal an undercurrent of uncertainty. And when the chorus arrives, his voice blossoms into a gorgeous cascade of overlapping harmonies, filling the air with sweetness and making a solitary confession sound almost communal. It’s a lovely bit of musical irony: A song about people drifting apart comes most alive when its voices come together.

Grace’s wedding arrives in a handful of details: An Upper East Side address, a comfortable future, the suggestion that her path has settled into place. The news catches Harford measuring his own life against hers. “I’m still the same scared little boy after all this time,” he confesses, before glancing toward the divorcees he’s met who are desperate to begin again. In just one verse, “Radio” captures the absurdity of treating adulthood like a race with a finish line, where everybody else appears to be further along.

“That lyric strikes me as a comparison,” Harford says. “I’ve held on to the same insecurities no matter how far I’ve come, while it seems like the people I used to know have grown up. Honestly, I think this is how the internet has made us all feel; looking at someone’s perfected version of their life makes us feel worse about ourselves.”

Harry’s story offers a welcome shift in perspective. A math and choir teacher, he’s working hard and sounds exhausted when Harford calls; the singer responds with an admission that his own inspiration has been running low. Suddenly, two people whose lives have taken dramatically different directions recognize themselves in each other’s struggles. Their brief conversation carries the bittersweet relief of discovering that nobody has everything figured out. The recurring image of being “in our own little worlds” gains another dimension here – distance may have pulled these friends apart, but their bond still endures.

Harry he’s working hard
Teaching math class and choir
I talked to him last week
And he sounded so tired
I said “I feel you my friend,
I’ve never felt less inspired”
“And we’re far away,
in our own little worlds”

Well, we’ve met a hundred millionaires
And we tried hard but
Couldn’t fit in there
But there’ll be a time and a little place where
We can start all over again

Meanwhile, the chorus keeps circling a deceptively simple word: needed. “I’m finally needed on the radio,” Harford sings, followed by “But if you really need me you can let me know.” The first line sounds almost triumphant, while the second brings the focus back to a far more personal connection. There’s a subtle tension buried inside that irresistible melody, one that grows increasingly affecting as the music lifts and the implications of his words settle in.

“I want to feel useful. I want to help those around me, and contribute to something larger than myself. In this chorus, I’m battling with having made selfish, isolating career choices, while still wanting to be there for those I love.”

The beauty of “Radio” is how naturally all these competing emotions coexist. Harford’s gentle humor and disarming candor give the record a delightful lightness, even as his lyrics wrestle with questions that become more complicated the older we get. Its breezy musical optimism makes room for the sting of comparison and the peculiar loneliness of growing up, while the repeated promise to be there for an old friend offers a small but meaningful way forward.

“I always learn more about my songs and myself during the releasing process,” Harford reflects. “This song is telling me to push on, without forgetting who I am and how I got here. I hope listeners feel that same disconnection I feel, that gap that adulthood and modernity has created between them and someone they used to be close with.”

By its final refrain, “Radio” leaves us with a comforting thought: Our lives may unfold in different directions, and the people we once knew may become strangers in ways we never expected, but there’s still beauty in reaching across that distance. Harford has written the kind of song that makes you want to call an old friend, catch up on their life, and remember the person you were when your paths last crossed.

“Radio” is an utter joy to return to, its irresistible melodies drawing us in while Harford’s thoughtful storytelling reveals greater emotional depth with every listen.

His chorus is as cathartic as it is instantly catchy, all buoyancy and singalong sweetness; the details take longer to settle, nudging you toward memories of people you once knew by heart. Harford makes the complicated business of growing older approachable without smoothing away its edges. You can bask in the song’s golden, old-school pop pleasures, or listen closer and discover how much of your own story is tucked between the lines. It’s an immensely satisfying piece of songwriting, as comforting as it is thought-provoking, with the timeless appeal of a tune you’ve known and loved for years.

For harf., “Radio” signals a particularly exciting moment in his artistic journey. Harford’s embrace of piano has broadened his musical possibilities while preserving the candid, character-driven writing that made Carve resonate. He has the melodic instincts of a classic pop craftsman and a storyteller’s keen eye for the everyday details that give our lives their meaning. There’s an unmistakable sense of possibility surrounding this next era – a gifted musician coming into his own, discovering fresh ways to express himself, and making music that invites people to see a little more of themselves in one another. With his sophomore album on the horizon, harf. is an artist to watch, and “Radio” gives us every reason to be excited for what’s ahead.

Arriving November 6, “Radio” is an enchanting reminder that wherever life takes us, there’s always room to reconnect. Stream harf.’s latest single exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and get to know the artist behind the music in our intimate interview below!

It’s time that I’m leaving
I gotta hang up now
I’m finally needed at the top of the hour
But if you really need me
you can find me out
And I’ll be hangin
In my own little world

It’s time that I’m leaving
Yea, I’ve got to go
I’m finally needed on the radio
But if you really need me
you can let me know
And I’ll be hangin
In my own little world

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:: stream/purchase Radio here ::

:: connect with harf. here ::

— —

Stream: “Radio” – harf.

A CONVERSATION WITH HARF.

harf. (Will Harford): I want them to know that I write music for myself and by myself. For my own healing, my own fun. I hope through the music I can pass on some of that to you! I’ve thought about quitting, I’ve thought I should be famous by now, this whole thing is just a pendulum swinging back and forth.

harf.: Carve is a journal-style folk album, through and through. I’m still super proud of it, but happy to be taking my project somewhere completely different. My new music feels more involved, organic, and I think I’ve written less selfishly on this album. It at least tries to encompass a story larger than my own.

harf.: My musical north stars have varied hugely over time. For this album, I think my love for showtune-y, piano-based pop music really shone through. When I brought in the first couple songs for the album, my producer Noah showed me Harry Nilsson’s “The Point!” which I think is a great reference. Classics like Carole King and Nick Drake also come to mind.

harf.: When you see someone you used to know, and find out how their life is going, it makes you reflect on old times and your own journey. In the first verse I start with a story of someone who made opposite life choices to me, and it makes me feel behind in life. In the second verse, I catch up with an old friend and we reach some solidarity; life has thrown some challenges at us but we’re still staying true to who we are.

harf.: That lyric strikes me as a comparison. I’ve held on to the same insecurities no matter how far I’ve come, while it seems like the people I used to know have grown up. Honestly, I think this is how the internet has made us all feel; looking at someone’s perfected version of their life makes us feel worse about ourselves.

harf.: I want to feel useful. I want to help those around me, and contribute to something larger than myself. In this chorus, I’m battling with having made selfish, isolating career choices, while still wanting to be there for those I love.

harf.: This is music I’ve always wanted to make, but I haven’t had the ability to. I was burnt out on writing on guitar, and I wanted some more variety in my sound, so revisiting and improving on piano inspired a lot of new songs for this album. The retro sound happened somewhat naturally, when I realized how good myself, Noah, and Ben sounded live in the studio. The “retro” sound is really just a result of a process similar to how older records were made.

harf.: I always learn more about my songs and myself during the releasing process. This song is telling me to push on, without forgetting who I am and how I got here. I hope listeners feel that same disconnection I feel, that gap that adulthood and modernity has created between them and someone they used to be close with.

harf.: Oooh! A few up-and-coming artists I love: James Eichman, Bella White, and Ethan Regan!

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:: stream/purchase Radio here ::

:: connect with harf. here ::

— —

Stream: “Radio” – harf.

— — — —

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 © Aram Aghababian

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