Back in May we previewed, Revelation, the forthcoming full-length by Leif Vollebekk on Secret City Records. “Pairing his distinctively earnest vocals with almost cinematic arrangements, the album sees Vollebekk follow Jung’s Dreams, Memories, Reflections through to themes such as alchemy and the mystery of the divine,” we wrote, “as well as the pervasive uncertainty of our existentially threatened present.” Single ‘Moondog’ captured the marbled blend of the earthly and ethereal which resulted, presenting “love held up in all of its magic and strangeness,” as we continued, “where chance and predetermination move our lives with their inscrutable gravities.”
Leif Vollebekk has now returned with new single, ‘Southern Star. With renowned musicians like Cindy Cashdollar (steel guitar), Shahzad Ismaily (bass) and and Australian singer-songwriter Angie McMahon (backing vocals), the track is as confident as it is poignant, furthering Vollebekk’s investigations into the deepest of themes. Namely here the phenomenon of love as it stretches over time. Longing as some echo through the years. “Big dreams they move slowly / Like a fog across the plains,” as the song opens. “A dream where I’m riding horses / And you’re on my mind again.”
“I think this might be my favourite song I have ever written, and it took a while to reveal itself,” as Vollebekk explains. “I spent about two years waiting for the last verse to come. It was recorded in one live take with me on piano, Oliver on drums, Shahzad on bass and Angie, who happened to be in town, singing harmony. We added Rob Moose on strings and Cindy Cashdollar on steel guitar. I asked her to stretch out at the end, and, when she did, I just sat there in the control room, completely blown away.”
Watch the video directed and edited by Kaveh Nabatian below:
Revelation is out on the 27th September via Secret City Records.