Belfountain Unveils “Through The Darkness” From Upcoming Album, Some Hearts
“Through the Darkness” is the final single from BELFOUNTAIN, the fresh indie-folk-rock project fronted by singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and JUNO Award-winning producer Chris Graham. The song is drawn from the upcoming album Some Hearts, an authentic, roots-inspired collection that provides an earthy mix of old and new, always familiar yet full of surprises. Some Hearts comes out June 21, 2024.
Fueled by an energetic pedal steel guitar and a plucky banjo, “Through the Darkness” is as close as the pop-oriented Belfountain gets to country music, and sounds like a perfect outtake from Blue Rodeo’s Five Days in July album. The upbeat verses and choruses eventually plunge into a minor-key bridge, the metaphorical “darkness,” before emerging on the other side. It’s a song that never lets up right until the final note.
“This is one of the oldest songs in my catalogue, performed for decades but never recorded or released until now,” says Graham. “It’s both a reflection on life, and a plea to make the most of what’s left. It’s about struggling to overcome the problems one creates for oneself, and trying to find a way ‘through the darkness.'”
Tell us a bit about your recent release.
My latest single Tell Me When It Rains is a soul ballad similar to the music of Mayer Hawthorne or Teddy Swims. Originally I was going to let the song go to another artist because I wasn’t sure if it fit on the album, but in the end it just felt too good not to include. It features James Bryan on guitar throughout, as well as a stellar band of some of Toronto’s best musicians and vocalists. I was going for something romantic and unpretentious, and it ended up being a tale about a couple going through a drought, hence references to the weather and the desert scenery.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
There are two ways really – either a melody just pops into my head and I have to immediately record it on my phone before I forget it, or it’s a planned session where I’m jamming out ideas on the guitar or piano. This song was one of those ones where the chorus hook popped into my head and from there I could hear how the rest of the song should sound. It was just a matter of laying it all down in the studio.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
We just finished shooting a video for the song and it will be out in the next few weeks. I’m really excited about it because there was a fairly large group of actors and musicians involved in it. The song is also already airing on radio across North America and was recently added to the official Spotify playlist ‘Contemporary Blend’, which has helped bring it to a wider audience. The full album Some Hearts is out June 21, and the cross-Canada tour kicks off on June 22 at Burdock in Toronto, with further dates in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec in July and August.
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
A highlight was winning a JUNO Award in 2021 for the album I produced for the children’s group Splash’N Boots. It was all a bit surreal because due to the pandemic the awards were online only and most of the album was complete alone at my home studio with musicians recording remotely. After that, it was like, “ok, now what?” – which I think is pretty normal when you achieve a big goal in your career. I had been writing and recording music for other artists for about 7 years exclusively, and so that was a bit of a turning point in that I decided to take a break from that and go back to working on my own music. That said, I am currently producing albums for two different artists, atmospheric vocalist Abøn (Lauren Pedersen), and legendary experimental pop artist Spookey Ruben (also one of my musical heroes) – so I can’t stay away from working with artists whose music I love.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend?
I would check out the new single ‘Put It On’ by Victoria neo-soul-jazz group, Wes Carroll Confabulation. They have a new album, Helium coming out on my label Flatcar Records, May 24th and the vibe is all really chill.
Upcoming Shows:
June 22 – Album Release Concert @ Burdock, Toronto, ON
July 1 Canada Day Festival, Lethbridge, AB
July 4 – The Velvet Olive, Red Deer, AB
July 5 – 1890 Legendary Hotel, Canmore, AB
July 6 – The Blue Chair, Edmonton, AB
July 19 – Jethro’s, Peterborough, ON
July 24 – Hotel Wolfe Island, Kingston, ON
July 25 – Avant Garde, Ottawa, ON
July 27 – Bar La Marche à côté, Montreal, QC
August 14 – Guilt & Co., Vancouver, BC
August 15 – Caffe Fantastico, Victoria, BC