Shadow Folk about half a century and an entire continent removed from the West Coast and the sounds of The Association, The Seeds, and Jefferson Airplane, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it. The Nova Scotian rock and roll/psych-pop band has tapped directly into another era to bring us “Contemplation,” a song that could have ridden in on the crest of psychedelia.
The backbone of Shadow Folk is made up of none other than Justin McGrath (guitar, vocals) Jordan Murphy (drums)—both of Halifax’s psych-pop band Walrus—with Ian Bennett (bass, vocals) of the Motown monsters Roxy + The Underground Soul Sound. The trio is also joined by a rotating cast of second guitar players that has Jake Rann as their current guitar player but has included the likes of Keith McFadden, Keith Doiron, Adam Ledrew.
“It is a project I began years ago and enlisted the amazing rhythm section of Jordan Murphy and Ian Bennett,” says Justin McGrath.
The group formed not long after McGrath met Murphy through playing in Scott Nicks Band, and Bennett via their former bass player, Lauren Chisholm.
Having been more active in the mid-2010s—releasing a Shadow Folk/Sunny Beaches split cassette, an EP titled Seagull Visions, their Mystery Park EP released through Human Sounds Records. They’re about to make up for lost time though.
“It has been something we worked on during the times we were not touring and working on Walrus and Roxy + the Underground Soul Sound. Now, we have a lot of material collected that’s going to come out over the next six months and I am focusing on building our presence up.”
That being said, time is relative, especially when you’re delving into the psychedelic sixties; give Shadow Folk all the opportunity in the world to take their time to get it right. Fortunately, these bandmates come with the chops to deliver.
Adding to the retrospective nature of “Contemplation”, Ian Bennett, both the song’s lyricist and vocalist, says that his intent was to create something like looked inwards and Marie Kondo the heck out of it in an effort to move forward.
“‘Contemplation’ is about being undecided,” explains Bennett. “It’s about the things that get in our way of getting or being who or what we want—whatever that may be. The chorus is about putting aside the things that might be in your way and getting past your own ego. The swirling reverse vocals at the end are like all the voices we hear in our head so just listen to the guitar solo and you’ll be fine.”
The single is the first to be released from Shadow Folk’s upcoming seven-song EP, Holiest of Days. The EP, recorded at Echo Chamber, Ocean Floor Studios (Charles Austin & Francisco Lopes), Kline Heights Studios (Adam Ledrew), Hydrostone Studios (Ian Bennett), Fifth Way Studios (Justin McGrath), and features performances by Garrett Mason and Keith McFadden, along with artwork by Corey Isenor. Holiest of Days is being released via Human Sounds Records of Atlanta, GA later this summer and is currently available for pre-order.
Show Dates:
08.26.21 – Halifax, NS @ Gus’ Pub & Grill