Last featured on KLOF in 2024 with Into the Garden, a song centred on home and what it means to belong, Christian Wethered, a Dublin-based songwriter and poet, has released The First Thing today, a song about vulnerability, restraint, and the search for authenticity. The single is also the opening track from his new album From The Balustrade, due for release in 2027 via LVP Records (Le Village Pop).
While it still carries those chanson influences of his debut, Mon Petit Jardin, this opening track feels more owned and lived-in. There’s a newfound confidence, with his poetry taking centre stage through dreamlike short verses left open to interpretation: “Just a strange star and the swallow’s wings”. There’s also a significant sonic shift. Wethered is joined by Caimin Gilmore, one of Ireland’s finest double bassists and composers, Dylan Lynch on drums, and Cillian Byrne on electric guitar and keyboards, who together give the song a playful, quirky arrangement that flows through his lyrics. It all feels like a big leap forward.
Alongside his music, Christian writes about music and poetry, and most recently interviewed Declan O’Rourke here on KLOF Mag.