New York-based brothers Alexander and Christian Herasimtschuk discuss the emotional journey behind their haunting new single, blending world music influences with deeply personal storytelling.
New York world rock fusion duo Novus Cantus have unveiled their latest single, “Down in the Valley,” a deeply personal exploration of depression, spiritual longing, and the search for hope during life’s darkest moments.
Founded in 2010 by brothers Alexander and Christian Herasimtschuk, Novus Cantus have developed a distinctive sound that brings together rock, flamenco, classical guitar, and Middle Eastern musical influences. Their latest release takes that adventurous approach into more vulnerable territory, combining haunting vocals, intricate instrumentation, and deeply reflective songwriting.
The song’s emotional centre emerged during a late-night recording session in October 2023, when Alexander, an Episcopal priest, abandoned traditional vocal technique and delivered a quiet, unguarded performance. What initially seemed like an unlikely final take eventually became the defining element of the recording.
Featuring classical guitar, Middle Eastern percussion, and lyrics inspired by personal struggles and biblical imagery, “Down in the Valley” reflects the duo’s ability to connect musical traditions with universal human experiences.
Beyond their original material, Novus Cantus have earned recognition for their inventive interpretations of songs by Jefferson Airplane, the Rolling Stones, Nirvana, and Rusted Root. The brothers have also received two nominations for World Music Artist of the Year at the Thomas Edison Awards and appeared on WMHT’s AHA! A House for Arts and WEXT Radio’s Local 518 Sessions.
With “Down in the Valley,” the brothers offer listeners one of their most emotionally revealing releases to date.
Novus Cantus Down in the Valley – Interview
We caught up with Novus Cantus to discuss the creative process behind “Down in the Valley,” the musical influences that shape their sound, and how personal experiences and spirituality continue to inspire their songwriting.
Hi, Alex and Christian! Good to meet you! Care to introduce yourself to the readers for those not familiar with your music?
Sure, thing. We are Novus Cantus and we are an experimental rock duo from the Hudson Valley in New York in the United States. And we are brothers! And we’ve been making music together since our teen years, so we have a long history, musically speaking.
Oh, and in case you are curious, Novus Cantus means “new music” in Latin. The band name is a bit of a paradox: on the one hand, our music sounds “old,” kind of ancient and timeless. And yet, we create “new” sounds never heard before that frequently crosses genre and geography.
Alex, you recorded the defining vocal take for “Down in the Valley” alone in a church rectory, with your head lowered, barely opening your mouth, and singing almost in a whisper. You described that moment as finally letting go of everything you’d been taught about proper singing. What happened emotionally when you stopped trying to deliver a perfect performance? Did you recognize something in that take that you hadn’t been able to express in words?
Yeah, being a trained singer can be both a blessing and a curse when it comes to recording. It’s a blessing because it strengthens and beautifies your voice, but it’s a curse because sometimes you focus so much upon proper technique and strong emotional delivery that it clouds what your inner voice is telling you how to perform a song. And this is precisely what happened with the earliest “Down in the Valley” takes. When I recorded the initial few vocal tracks, I really focused on my training. But when Christian and I listened to the takes, they just didn’t match the song. They were too clean and overly emotional. So, once all of the “proper” options had been exhausted, I really had to peel back the layers and remember, at its core, this is about someone, me, at my most vulnerable. Down, and numb with despair. So, in visualizing, channeling THAT person, my body and voice, likewise, became numb, and everything just fell into place. When I sent the take to Christian, he was like, “this is the one.” And the rest is history!
You’re an Episcopal priest, and “Down in the Valley” explores depression, hopelessness and spiritual suffering. People often turn to religious leaders for comfort and reassurance during their darkest moments, but what happens when the person everyone looks to for strength is struggling themselves? Has writing this song changed the way you understand faith, suffering or your responsibility to the people who come to you for guidance?
You know, many of my parishioners are fans of Novus Cantus. So, when they saw the video release and listened to the song, many of them approached me and asked, “Father, is everything alright?” Hahaha! Yeah, they were pretty concerned that I was going through some kind of a dark time in my life. I really appreciated their concern. I am okay, by the way.
Interestingly, while the song is intimately personal, I don’t think these emotions are something to be scared, or ashamed of. Rather, I think it is a song that explores a common experience. I mean, we all hit bottom from time-to-time, we all sojourn “the valley,” as it were, and we hope to get out of that valley. Throughout my ministry, I have encouraged parishioners to maintain hope that God will guide them out of the dark valley and, although it may take some time, it is remarkable how many times God has indeed led them out…and me out, for that matter.
You and your brother Christian have been making music together as Novus Cantus since 2010, blending everything from flamenco and classical guitar to Middle Eastern and African percussion. When Christian unexpectedly sent you that experimental drum part with two doumbeks and a shaker, it helped bring the song together. How does being brothers shape your creative relationship? Are there things Christian understands about you, especially when you’re making something this personal, that another musician simply wouldn’t recognize?
Absolutely – Christian and I have a musical connection. We have had it since day one. We’ve developed this unique sound together and, whenever we write music, we tend to finish each other’s sentences. And yet, sometimes, one of us will have a completely different idea that takes a song in a new direction.
For example, you mentioned the drum part in “Down in the Valley.” In my mind, I always heard a drum set in this song, because, in my head, it has a subtle country western sound; so, a drum set seemed the most appropriate option. But when Christian and I rehearsed the song together with the drum kit, we both agreed that something was off. And then, Christian went home and started experimenting with all different kinds of drums. He sent me some rough tracks with the doumbek and djembe. I was amazed at how well these drums matched the song. They weren’t even on my radar, and yet, Christian figured it out. He also wrote the music and vocal melody for the bridge of the song and added the slide guitar because he felt like something was missing. He was right. It just goes to show that, with experimentation and an open mind, songs kind of write themselves; we might think they are supposed to go one direction, but they are actually taking us another direction.
“Down in the Valley” took nearly three years to finish, and the vocal you initially considered too quiet ultimately became the emotional centre of the recording. What kept bringing you back to that particular performance? And after spending so long with a song rooted in such a difficult period of your life, what does it feel like to finally release it into the world? Do you hear the person you were in 2023, or does the song mean something different to you now?
Well, it was Christian who kept bringing me back to that vocal performance! He kept saying, “this is the take…this is the one,” and I was like, “no, man, I can do better!” So, after doing take after take after take, we kept going back to that one version. Finally, I just surrendered to the reality that this one vocal take was the one. Christian was right! It’s a good thing he held out!
You know, the reason why the song came to me when it did has been a mystery to me since the beginning. The melody and the opening words, “down in the valley,” came to me when I was lying on a beach on Cape Cod! I wasn’t down or depressed…quit the opposite. And yet, on that beautiful summer day, a somber song about personal struggle was born. Why? I don’t really know, but once I heard that melody, and vocalized “down in the valley”, it resonated with me. I immediately had a vision of what this needed to be. It evoked deep, strong “low” emotions; it’s hard to explain. But maybe that’s why it has sparked such curiosity with listeners; maybe that melody won’t just resonate with me. I will be curious to know what questions this song inspires with audiences, now that it has been released. So far, our fans have remarked that the song is “deep, haunting, and mysterious,” and it has sparked much curiosity about its deeper meaning. I think we are all in for a bit of a ride!
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