Gillian Stone shares her latest single, “Raven’s Song,” and corresponding music video
Toronto multi-instrumentalist and interdisciplinary drone-folk artist Gillian Stone shares her second single and music video, “Raven’s Song,” from her forthcoming EP Spirit Photographs (out November 18, 2022).
Stone describes her new track;
“‘Raven’s Song’ is a vocally-driven post- rock/ambient/drone folk song. It is a reflection on a time when I existed in a state of limerence, intersecting with the third stage of grief: Bargaining. It is an interplay between fire and water that takes place at night, in darkness, in a forest by the river. It traverses a psyche riddled with obsession – a mind that can’t let go.”
Stone co-produced “Raven’s Song” with experimental e-cellist and multi-instrumentalist Michael Peter Olsen (Zoon, The Hidden Cameras, Arcade Fire).
“The piece was originally written as a lilting folk song. In a fit of insomnia, right before beginning my recording sessions with Olsen, I turned out a guitarless, synth-driven, droning demo from my home studio. While we decided to go in that direction, what Olsen and I recorded was also very different. Our recording process was experimental; we worked through synth sounds to create a sparse soundscape. Spencer Cole’s (Weaves, The Weather Station) work on the piece really brought it to life. Between recording drums at Union Sound, and recording electronic percussion and synth glitches in his home studio, he gave the song the forward momentum that congealed the sonic landscape.”
The video for “Raven’s Song” was co-directed by Toronto filmmakers Emma Buchanan, Amir Heidarian, and Stone at Warden Woods in East York. Stone’s forthcoming EP, Spirit Photographs, explores Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ model of the five stages of grief, with each song representing one of the stages, through processing personal turmoil in an era of collective trauma. “Raven’ Song” is a companion piece to the first single from the EP, “Amends” (representing Anger), released June 24th, as the songs are tethered together by an ARP 2600 A drone.
Watch the video for “Raven’s Song” below, and learn more about Gillian Stone via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
I am a Tkaronto-based multi-instrumentalist and interdisciplinary artist whose work draws from post-rock, folk, ambiance, and minimalism. I moved to the city ten years ago from my small hometown on Vancouver Island and still very much feel like a transplant. The great grounding forces in my urban life are my veggie garden and my very silly dog named Barry. I’ve been reading tarot since I was eleven, still use the first deck that was gifted to me by my mother, and plan to open a practice in 2023.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
“Raven’s Song” is the second single from my forthcoming EP, Spirit Photographs, which I will be releasing on November 18th. The EP is a five-song concept album about grief, with each song representing one of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ five stages, and “Raven’s Song” represents Bargaining. It is an interplay between fire and water that takes place at night, in darkness, in a forest by the river. I wrote it at a time when I was in a deep limerent state over a dark-haired lover who was absolutely no good for me. In its original form, it is a lilting, fingerstyle folk song. However, what my co-producer Michael Peter Olsen and I came up with was a guitarless and experimental departure.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
My inspiration is predominantly drawn from big, messy feelings. Getting inside of songs is how I process psychosocial discomfort in a safe space without dissociating. I’m also immensely influenced by “scapes”: landscapes, soundscapes, cityscapes, forestscapes. I tend to write by imagining myself inside environments, describing my feelings allegorically through the sensory experience of my manufactured worlds. And words – poetry and prose are so important to me. I’ve been writing poetry since I could talk.
Do you have any upcoming shows or festivals you’d like to tell us about?
I’m playing a full band show on October 15th in the back room of the Cameron House, which I’m very much looking forward to. Alli Sunshine, one of my best friends, will also be playing a set, so it will be a special night.
What has been your goal for 2022?
Releasing Spirit Photographs has been my major 2022 goal. Now, as the date approaches, my intention is to stay regulated and grounded as things amp up.