Smoke Ring Days lift your spirits with their upbeat new single and video Peace In My Soul — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The New York indie-rock Americana band’s latest release opens with a distinctive Thin Lizzy-style dual harmony guitar riff from multi-instrumentalist Rick Eppedio, paving a path for vocalist Cindy Keyser-Posner to come in with the first verse, describing isolation and alienation in an everyday, easily relatable way, before offering a mantra to soothe the solitude:
“Some days you doubt whether he cares
And if you need would she be there
Wondering as you keep on
What would it be like to be gone
So desperate to find direction
One that you pray leads the way home
If you cry ’cause life hurts
Close your eyes and just try these words:
Well, there are few things in life I really need
To make me feel free and whole
Just bring some hope to my heart, joy to the world
And give me peace, peace in my soul.”
The feel-good vibe of the sing-along chorus is instantly accessible, and the entire song is driven by an infectious modern boogie groove and brightly coloured tonality. However, the lyrics to Peace In My Soul, while perfectly suited to summer radio play, are also introspective, with a hint of social awareness.
An all-too-rare long-standing partnership in the music industry, Rick and Cindy began writing together as Barbarian Lovers, independently producing demos on a four-track in Rick’s childhood basement. Their very first co-write, the catchy electro-folk Round and Round, caught the ear of Blondie/Go-Go’s producer Richard Gottehrer and resulted in an indie label offer.
After putting out their first full length album Fatal Embrace, the duo scored substantial radio play and press throughout western Europe and Asia. Following two subsequent CDs, Faith In A Desperate Place and Dancing In Dreams, and a successful tour of Scandinavia, the band — compared by critics to acts ranging from Tears for Fears to Eurythmics — went on extended hiatus, eventually resurfacing as the harder-edged Smoke Ring Days.
Today, the duo continue to embrace an ethos which seeks to elevate awareness and create community through music they love, to share with others they hope will, too. And, as always, amidst the grit and grief shine layers of hope and optimism, the ‘perfect in our imperfection,’ as exemplified by Peace In My Soul.
Watch the video for Peace In My Soul above, sample more from Smoke Ring Days below, and find them on their website, Facebook and Instagram.
