Song narrative is an important element in folk songs, many of which are based on a tale, an event, a myth, or a warning… Some highlight the burdens we may carry, while others may seek answers or give the listener pause for reflection in untangling their own web of anxieties and complexities. It’s a real art to be able to write such songs. māsa (Latvian for sister), a sibling duo in their early twenties, seem to have mastered this art. Sisters Faron and Merle‘s songs are delicately woven, like the silk threads of a tapestry, drawing from history and literature to create relatable songs that remind the listener they are not alone.
Their debut album, Sailors and Insomniacs, was released last year but really didn’t get the attention it deserved. One of their songs, The Tower, is to feature in the new Apple TV drama series ‘Dear Edward’ (in Episode 3, which will air on Apple TV+ from 24 Feb onwards). Dear Edward is based on the novel of the same name by Ann Napolitano that tells the story of a 12-year-old boy, a lone survivor of a plane crash. It examines the inter-relationships of those affected by the tragedy and their struggle to make sense of it all, during which unexpected friendships, romances and communities are formed.
In the book, the underlying questions ask, “When you’ve lost everything, how do you find yourself? How do you discover your purpose? What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live?” While these questions may be bound to a tragic event, they are also more widely relatable as we fight to escape our human fragility. The songs of māsa weave around these unified human concerns that keep us awake in the small hours…sailors lost at sea, the sleepless on the edge of madness.
From Brothers Grimm to Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons, the sisters pull on threads that are often familiar, tales we often seek out later in life, a chance to relive our childhood, something the press image above seems to accentuate. For ‘The Tower’, also our Song of the Day, they take inspiration from Philippa Pearce’s children’s fantasy novel Tom’s Midnight Garden, which seems to strongly resonate with the drama series – exploring childhood, growing up, friendship and mortality. The song title is taken from the Tarot card, māsa explain.
māsa on The Tower
In tarot, the Tower is cracked by the lightning of a sudden revelation. Taking this as a starting point, and drawing inspiration from the magical tale of Tom’s Midnight Garden, The Tower traces the currents of terror that move beneath daily life, the sudden cracks that can gape in the midst of normality. The vocals and electronic drums of the middle eight represent the Tower breaking and the frightening revelation that we will all grow old, and those we love will die: ‘you cannot beat time’.
It’s worth noting that the sisters also play every instrument on this album, paying as much attention to the weight and feel of their arrangements as they do to those mesmerising sibling harmonies…while mainly a piano arrangement, there is a turbulent crescendo part-way through, as it subsides, it creates a pin-drop moment of immense emotion.
I imagine there will be many tears shed when this does air, and I hope it brings them the attention they so deserve.
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Website: https://masaband.com
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