Released in 2022, Iona Lane‘s ‘Hallival‘ was a masterful debut album, described by KLOF Mag as one of the most rewarding albums of the year. The following year, she followed with her beguiling and transfixing ‘Cove‘, a collaborative EP with Ranjana Ghatak. That upward trend in creating such finely crafted music and songs looks set to continue on her new EP Bring the Tide In, which she describes as a collection of songs written from a place of longing and nostalgia. She reveals, “Childhood memories and growth sway through this EP in a way that I didn’t expect they would. These songs share stories of my own, each strongly tied to a location or place that has felt poignant during my life.”
Last month, she released her first single, Suilven, the EP’s opening track. Today, she follows with another, the title track, on which she shared:
“‘Bring The Tide in’ is a song I started writing whilst on the Isle of Rum in August 2022. It’s about human connection and how those humans have shaped you. But for me, its meaning changes every time I play it.”
Once again, Iona has chosen a solid team to help bring her nature-inspired poetic visions to life. Andy Bell produced the four-track EP, and the musicians she’s chosen are at the top of their game: Lucy Farrell (backing vocals), Malin Lewis (fiddle) and Euan Burton (double bass).
The title track and video are striking, contemplative and strongly tied to the sea. From the opening, Iona sings the mantra-like chorus: “For you, I’d bring the tide in”, her voice almost at one with the gentle lapping waves, settling the listener immediately within the heart of the song. The song slowly swells, augmented by some beautiful lines from Lewis’s fiddle and heavenly backing vocals from Farrell. Burton’s intuitive double bass both grounds and allows everyone else to lift the song; the effect is both gently dramatic and equally meditative.
Iona’s EP is released on 22nd March and can be pre-order here (see tour dates below): https://ionalane.bandcamp.com/album/bring-the-tide-in
Iona Lane Tour Dates
13/03 Dunfermline Folk Club
15/03 House Concert, Edinburgh
16/03 Claypath Deli, Durham
19/03 Temperance, Leamington Spa
20/03 The Sound Lounge, Sutton
21/03 The Pump, Trowbridge
22/03 Ryepiece Barn, Ettington
24/03 Cafe #9, Sheffield
17/05 Karona Sessions, Up Holland
18/05 Cwtch Coffee, Pembroke Dock
21/05 Headingley HEART, Leeds
23/05 Stratford Playhouse
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