Memorial Shares New Single ‘In The Arms Of December’
UK fast-rising folk-pop duo Memorial have just shared their brand new single In The Arms Of December, a lovely indie-folk song out now via Lucy Rose’s Real Kind Records (Bess Atwell, Samatha Crain).
In The Arms Of December beautifully showcases the duo's warm and ethereal sonority as well their gorgeous vocals and songwriting skills. I am loving their enchanting harmonies which are packed with so much emotion, instantly drawing our attention to their storytelling. Produced by Tim Bidwell and co-produced by Lucy Rose, In The Arms Of December is a melancholy-infused song about finding solace and affinity in the ethereal and is wrapped around a polished indie folk production packed with intricate acoustic guitar riffs nicely intertwined with steady percussion, warm rhythms and lush horns that create an overall dreamy atmosphere perfect for those introspective days home alone. I find this song to be quite soothing, allowing us to unwind after a stressful day and surrender to its warmth and melancholic touch.
Speaking about the song, Memorial said,
In moments of high stress, grief or imbalance in day to day life, we noticed our affinity with ghosts, afterlife or at least the presence of some ethereal energy, is always heightened. Something that really excites us is finding dialogue and scenery in feelings that feel hard to describe. Trying to figure out the words in those moments where the focus is locked in the atmosphere, rather than in the tangible. This song was born out of one of those nights in mid-December, the festive season had truly kicked in but felt completely elsewhere. The TV was just background noise and sleep was a distant goal behind all anxious thoughts and the only solace was the company of a familiar spirit. We only had a verse for almost a year and it was a really cathartic process to return to a place of desperation, from a position of clarity and be able to leave that darkness behind respectfully. So what was originally a dissection of a small moment, turned into acceptance of loss and appreciation for personal growth.
Accompanying the release, the duo just shared its official music video, directed, shot and edited by James Hough, which beautifully embodies the song's message and atmosphere. Check it out below!
Speaking about the video, Memorial said,
The making of this video was exactly what we needed at exactly the right time. We’d just come back from a 2 week long tour, and then we found ourselves in the middle of the vast and beautiful Lake District, walking through the scenery with llamas. It was unbelievably therapeutic. We started the day after an early morning voyage, by getting to know our assigned llamas, Jack’s was called rocksteady and Ollie’s was called echo. The hardest thing was keeping them entertained, although it was the first time they’d ever been sung to, it wasn’t enough! They loved eating everything around them, you’ll see some of the bribes in the video. We wanted to avoid narrative and focus on simplicity. The team at ‘Alpacaly Ever After’ were incredible and Stevie was super helpful and was really the only reason the llamas managed to stay in shot, shaking a tin of food behind camera. Thank you so much to director James Hough for embracing the cold and the terrain to find the best shots!