A song to calm our heavy hearts and soothe our aching souls, Bermuda Search Party’s “Shiver” is a graceful, tender, and comforting ballad of loss and hope, mourning and connection.
Stream: “Shiver” – Bermuda Search Party
The song is a reminder that life is impermanent, embrace the inevitable, that it’s okay to be afraid, and that fear can drive us to live fully.
There’s nothing wrong with fearing death.
Still, it’s comforting to know we’re not alone in what we’re feeling. Whether it’s that pain of a permanent loss, or the endless unknown that hits hardest – for me, it’s a combination of the two – Bermuda Search Party’s new single promises to calm our heavy hearts and soothe our aching souls all at once. They may not have the answers to life’s biggest questions, but the Boston band’s soul-stirring song “Shiver” is a graceful, tender, and comforting song of heartache and hope, mourning and connection: Of dwelling in life’s darkest space, and knowing you’re not the first, nor are you the last, to face those experiences – and that, as hard as it may feel today, tomorrow, and the next day, “somehow we’ll float.”
She took a dive, gave her bones for fins
I dip my feet but wouldn’t dare jump in
She said “my dear, it’s life over limb
It’s the fear of drowning that helps us swim”
We’ll shiver (shiver)
Ooh woah oh oh oh
We’ll shiver (shiver)
In the old ebb and flow
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Shiver,” Bermuda Search Party’s gently uplifting fourth single of the year (following recent tracks “Asking 4 a Friend,” “July,” and “End of the Road”). Formed while they were all students at Berklee College of Music, the four-piece of singer-songwriter/guitarist Leo Son, singer-songwriter/bassist Claire Davis, trumpeter/keyboardist Maclin Tucker, and trombonist Hoyt Parquet have been enchanting audiences around the country with their heartwarming brand of indie pop for over five years now.
In addition to playing hundreds of shows across the country (including festival stages at Boston Calling, Levitate, SXSW, Treefort, and more), they independently released their debut album Melancholy Flowers in 2022 to much acclaim, and more recently signed with Nettwerk Music Group (with a sophomore album expected some time next year).
A radiantly raw reverie, “Shiver” is the softest and most vulnerable of Bermuda Search Party’s recent releases – an acoustic ballad born out of little more than a looping acoustic guitar riff and harmonized vocals. Sometimes, that’s all you need to create a moment of intimate, meaningful connection.
She said “my dear, you can’t steer the wind
You barely own your own bones and skin”
It’s the chance to die that gives life its golden trim
So when the wind comes to howl her haunting hymns
We’ll shiver (shiver)
Ooh woah oh oh oh
We’ll shiver (shiver)
In the old ebb and flow (ooh)
We’ll shiver (shiver)
Ooh woah oh oh oh
We’ll shiver
But somehow we’ll float
“‘Shiver’ is a song that was born in a time of mourning,” Leo Son tells Atwood Magazine. “The chorus first started coming together when I lost two friends within the span of two weeks. The idea of shivering in the face of death or quaking in the face of fear came to mind; how taking the plunge or a leap of faith has a similar feeling as shivering through fear.”
“Around the same time, my mother was talking to me about her last will and testament. I was simultaneously mourning the loss of several friends and faced with the fear of losing somebody that I loved dearly. She expressed to me how fearless she felt in the face of death and that she was no longer afraid to die. The song is a reminder that life is impermanent, embrace the inevitable, that it’s okay to be afraid, and that fear can drive us to live fully. I hope that it helps other people through this space to find some comfort.”
We’ll shiver, but somehow we’ll float.
Just as Leo Son found his own inward release in pouring these poignant words onto the page, so too can we find some sanctuary in Bermuda Search Party’s song.
“Shiver” is a warm blanket; the musical equivalent a cozy hug. We each take what we need, when we need, from the music we listen to; that this song can now be a go-to source of love and light, hope and support, is the best gift Bermuda Search Party could possibly give the world. Stream “Shiver” exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and stay tuned for much more to come as the Boston band set their sights on 2025 and beyond!
She took a dive, gave her bones for fins
She let out a laugh when she pulled me in
And now we’ll
Shiver (shiver, shiver)
Ooh woah oh oh oh
We’ll shiver (shiver, shiver)
In the old ebb and flow (ooh)
We’ll shiver (shiver, shiver)
Ooh woah oh oh oh
We’ll shiver
But somehow we’ll float
Somehow we’ll float
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:: connect with Bermuda Search Party here ::
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Stream: “Shiver” – Bermuda Search Party
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© Stephanie Larsen
© Stephanie Larsen:: Stream Bermuda Search Party ::
