Inspired by the vibrant autumnal colours of Virginia’s Sourwood trees, Durham-based indie folk duo Viv & Riley (Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno) have shared their latest single, Sourwood, a grounding song written by Viv that reflects on ageing, loss, and life’s beauty. Whilst rooted in Virginia, the single was recorded here in the South West where we’re based.
“‘Sourwood’ was inspired by the sourwood trees that erupt into orange and red blazes in the mountains of Virginia every fall. I was thinking about how these trees display such vibrant beauty before they inevitably lose their leaves and become bare each winter,” Vivian shares. “There is something that seems parallel to the human experience too, how people spend their lives growing, creating, and connecting, but also lose many of those things as they grow old.
“‘Sourwood’ is a shared moment of companionship with someone in their autumnal season of life as they look back on the things they’ve done and the people they’ve lost, and wonder how many springs are in their future. It was recorded live to tape in Frome, England with producer Dom Monks, just the two of us singing into the same mic, a few feet apart.”