Winnipeg’s meadows channel raw emotion into cathartic sound on “If You Go,” a melancholy blanket of lush slowcore sound that aches from the inside out.
for fans of Hovvdy, Pinegrove, Runnner
Stream: “If You Go” – Meadows
Beyond the anticipation, the angst, the apprehension, and foreboding radiating throughout meadows’ latest single is an indelible and enduring melancholy.
It’s the kind of sadness that sits with you day and night; a deep pain that dulls all other senses, consuming you in much the same way that love can consume: Wholly and truly. From plaintive, jangling guitars that wrap around the ears like a cozy blanket, to a tender voice that unapologetically aches from the inside out, meadows channel raw emotion into cathartic sound on “If You Go” – taking us with them on a familiar, bittersweet, and heavy-hearted journey.
If you go wrap around the sun
I’ll follow careful with my step
To show you I can hold myself
A promise I can always try
Found it hard to say, just what it means
I’m falling apart in the red car
Two words and a line the world goes by
You go where you go, you go where you go
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “If You Go,” the lead single off meadows’ forthcoming album The Birds Took You Away (independently out October 21, 2024). Formed in 2021, meadows is the brainchild of Winnipeg, Manitoba-based singer/songwriter Isiah Schellenberg, who describes the band’s sound as a blend of lush melodies, ambience, and slowcore. meadows has released a slew of singles and EPs over the past three years, including two albums (2021’s wild flower and 2022’s walking music), both of which showcase their lo-fi, DIY sound that sits halfway between Pinegrove and Hovvdy – a bit dreamy, a bit dusty, often acoustic, and always aching. Combine that with Schellenberg’s vulnerable, diaristic lyrics, and you’ve got the makings of a truly gut-wrenching artistry.
Recent singles like “Tall,” “Silver,” and “Wither” have seen meadows starting to up the ante on their music’s production quality – and with its lush, carefully curated sound, “If You Go” feels like the band has ascended that metaphorical ladder and unlocked a new level for themselves.
“‘If You Go’ was written back in 2021 while writing previous releases ‘wild flower’ and ‘Joyful,'” Isiah Schellenberg tells Atwood Magazine. “This song didn’t fit right in that time. It floated around for a few years, always coming and going in drafted album attempts, and after some time it feels like it found its right place with this album.”
“The Birds Took You Away’ was written from 2021-2024,” he continues. “I started writing it in Winnipeg before moving to Toronto and attempting to finish it there. While trying to write it there, nothing felt right, and I dealt with a lot of writer’s block. It wasn’t until moving back home where I felt more in place and more inspired to finish the album. I recorded some of the album in my apartment, and it was finished with the help from my long time friend and collaborator Lino D’ottavio in his home studio. The album explores what loss can mean and not focusing on one aspect of it. The songs explore loss, friends, family, anger, joy, space, and time.”
If you go miss you all the time
And tracing all the things we said
Flowers wilting in the snow
The only thing that we know
Found it hard to say, just what it means
I’m falling apart in the red car
Two words and a line the world goes by
You go where you go, you go where you go
With its warm, weary weight and soul-baring lyrics, “If You Go” proves not just an enveloping musical and emotional experience, but also a spellbinding reintroduction to meadows as the band gears up to release its new album. Stay tuned for The Birds Took You Away‘s release this October, and for now, stream “If You Go” exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
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Stream: “If You Go” – Meadows
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© courtesy of the artist
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