In a rapidly changing world, sharing life wisdom takes confidence and courage. Listening to their previous releases, we already know that The Song Gardeners have plenty of both. The new single Future Lives features them sharing memories and moments that can be passed on to the next generation. It is a mature, stylish and heartwarming release that will engage listeners of all ages.
The Song Gardeners, a San Francisco Bay Area band, was formed in August 2019 by singer/songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Corrie Dunn and Mary Gospe.
In October 2021, they released their debut album, People Passing Through. They have since then released five singles; Within, Present, Little Things and April Sky.
Future Lives
Future Lives starts with an ultra-light rhythm and a Rhodes piano. The early 80s sound gives the melody a brilliant flow that fits well with the “historical” aspects of the song; To look forward, we first have to look back. In terms of lyrics, Future Lives is a three-part song, dealing with childhood and youth to middle adulthood and, finally, the mature, “advice-giving” stage. Corrie M. Dunn’s (lead) and Mary Gospe’s vocals are fantastic as always.
Tidal link
As children and youngsters, we cannot wait to reach maturity. Then suddenly we are there, “Glowing, growing, knowing who I’m meant to be”. It is a journey filled with ups and downs, and The Song Gardeners captures it all in less than five minutes.
The “Walking the line, speaking your mind, keeping the time” is something to chew on. It shows that adult life requires both the ability to adhere to rules and deadlines, yet we also have to let our voice be heard. Again, I’m amazed by The Song Gardener’s sincere and well-crafted poetry. Check it out for yourself in this wonderful lyric video:
The sound design on Future Lives is tremendous! James Butler’s synths, bass and drum beats, plus David Scheibner’s guitars, synths and production, ensure that all focus is on the song’s message. But there are so many technical details to appreciate too. The most striking is intense end-part. Thanks to hyper-modern synths and arrangements, we seem to get a glimpse of the future – and it sounds wonderful!
I like how the song underlines the responsibility of the elders, and that young people are open to receive well-meaning advice. It might take some time for the message to get through, but future lives depend on it. The final lyric, “Falling down on your face, is like falling into Grace” is meant as an homage to trying over and over until you get it right.
In conclusion: “We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge,” John Naisbitt said. Listening to The Song Gardeners’ Future Lives, we sense why. Sharing information often comes through as empty words, while passing on knowledge is something we can trust and guide by. Future Lives is less than five minutes long, but the amount of life wisdom and loving advice that it contains is nothing short of incredible!
It feels natural to focus on the deeper meaning of Future Lives. Here the lyrics make the song. But I recommend listening to it once only paying attention to the melody and arrangement. First, you will notice the jazzy groove and light rhythm, but from that rises a sound that is unique and fresh. The melody is catchy and is constantly developing. It is impossible to tell where this is going to end. The mid-section with piano and synths, which lays the foundation for the “falling down on your face” part, is very colorful. And wow, the fade-out is amazing!
We don’t know what the future holds, but one thing is certain; The better prepared the next generation is, the easier their lives will be. The Song Gardeners’ Future Lives shows us how to share knowledge with young people without sounding like a dinosaur. It is as simple as “Loving, hugging, holding on to a dream”.
For more information and music samples, visit thesonggardeners.com.
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