This Week’s New River Music
Song: People Watching
Artist: Sam Fender
Two-time BRIT Award winner Sam Fender shares the title track from his third album, People Watching. The song sees Fender paying tribute to his late friend and mentor, Annie Orwin. He shared that they had an incredibly close relationship, describing her as somebody who was “like a surrogate mother to [him]…” He recounted that “[she]…passed away last November. I was by her side at the end, slept on a chair next to her. It’s about what was going through my head, to and from that place and home.” He drew inspiration from his walks to and from her care home. “People Watching” captures moments of grief and memories through vivid storytelling. Fender describes this song along with this album as “his next step forward”. With just one track out now, the rest of the album is set to release on February 21st, 2025. Hailing from northeast England, Fender is a British songwriter with a penchant for euphoric, hard-hitting guitar anthems. Over the past few years, he has headlined two stadium shows in his hometown of Newcastle as well as arenas and festivals throughout the UK and Ireland.

Song: Same Old Song
Artist: The Lumineers
The Lumineers’ latest single “Same Old Song”, released on January 8, 2025, serves as the lead track from their fifth studio album, Automatic, set to release on February 14, 2025. Schultz says, “The album explores some of the absurdities of the modern world, like the increasingly blurry line between what’s real and what’s not, and the variety of ways we numb ourselves while trying to combat both boredom and overstimulation.” Wes and Jeremiah, the founding members of the band, have been writing and performing together for 20 years now. They are excited about this new album that was recorded live in Woodstock NY’s Utopia studio. Recording an album live as a unit leaves fewer opportunities to fix mistakes or refine the sound, adding to the authenticity and honesty of the finished work. Along with a new album, the Lumineers are set to play shows across 16 countries on their upcoming tour!

Song: Gigi Perez
Artist: Sailor Song
“Sailor Song” by Gigi Perez, released on July 26, 2024 is an acoustic ballad that dives into themes of quick infatuation and is an aching love ballad about falling for a woman who looks like the actress Anne Hathaway. Initially teased on TikTok in April of 2024, the track quickly gained momentum, leading to its official release. Perez wrote this hit in her childhood bedroom in Florida and stayed up late into the night until the chorus was complete. She says “Sailor Song” was written from a place of deep fear. It’s a love song but was written with this person being her escape from this uncertain, helpless feeling that she’d been dealing with. She says not to worry as she’s getting therapy and doing great! When asked about the meaning behind the line “love me like a sailor,” Gigi replied “I think it’s the passion, it’s the passion of being away and getting back together and that fervor.” After an explosion of rapid success, Perez is embarking on her first-ever headlining tour this year!

Song: When We Were Stars
Artist: Guster
Guster’s “When We Were Stars,” released in 2024, is a standout track from their ninth studio album Ooh La La. During the creation of Ooh La La, Boston’s Guster holed up at Isokon Studio in Woodstock and carved out a lush and expansive sound rich in acoustic guitars and graceful piano work. The rhythmic “When We Were Stars” immediately stood out as an Ooh La La fan favorite. This song blends the band’s signature warm harmonies with lush instrumentation for a cinematic sound, and blends classic Guster percussion with the storytelling and sonic exploration that characterizes present day Guster. “Most of these songs were written against the backdrop of what felt like an apocalypse,” says Guster vocalist, guitarist, and bassist Ryan Miller. Despite being released in 2024, Guster has recently released a video to go along with your favorite track. “We feel lucky that we’ve created a dynamic where there’s no real separation between us and our fans—we’re all part of a community, and it’s theirs just as much as it’s ours,” says Guster’s vocalist and guitarist Adam Gardner. The band is currently on the second leg of their We Also Have Eras Tour this week playing in Nebraska, Colorado, and Utah.

Song: Impossible People
Artist: Matt Nathanson
Boston’s Matt Nathanson is back with his new album King of (Un)Simple set to release on February 7th. The standout track from the album, “Impossible People,” is an introspective look at self-sabotage and personal growth, and tackles the idea of family trauma and its lingering impact. The song is both self-aware and cinematic, exploring our fixation with the attention we aren’t getting and the misguided pursuit of others to make us feel whole. “Impossible People” delves into the idea of being one’s own worst enemy, a theme Nathanson has explored throughout his career but with a new sense of urgency and honesty. Describing the track as “a reflection on the struggle to break old patterns, particularly in relationships and personal identity,” Nathanson pairs this deeply personal release with even more exciting news—alongside the album, he has also announced his 2025 headline tour. Set to kick off just 12 days later on February 19th, the tour will stop at the Chevalier Theater in Medford MA on March 1.
List of Recent River Music
Title | Artist | Album |
---|---|---|
She Wants to go Dancing | Mt. Joy | She Wants to go Dancing |
Feel | The Heavy Heavy | One of a Kind |
Rushmere | Mumford & Sons | RUSHMERE |
Kinky | bby | 1 |
BIRDS OF A FEATHER | Billie Eilish | Hit Me Hard and Soft |
Gild The Lily | Billy Strings | Highway Prayers |
Too Easy | Brigitte Calls Me Baby | The Future Is Our Way Out |
Metaverse | Cage The Elephant | Neon Pill |
feelslikeimfallinginlove | Coldplay | Moon Music |
Plus & Minus | David Gray | Dear Life |
Rodeo Clown | flipturn | Burnout Days |
Favourite | Fontaines D.C. | Romance |
Night or Day | Franz Ferdinand | The Human Fear |
Nobody’s Soldier | Hozier | Unreal Unearth |
Your House | Inhaler | Your House |
Up All Night | James Bay feat. The Lumineers & Noah Kahan | Changes All The Time |
Peaceful Place | Leon Bridges | Leon |
In The Living Room | Maggie Rogers | In The Living Room |
The Rest Of Me | Michael Kiwanuka | Small Changes |
Giving Up | Michigander | Giving Up |
Call Me (Whatever You Like) | Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats | South of Here |
Magpie | Peach Pit | Magpie |
And They Called Her California | Ray LaMontagne | Long Way Home |
Step Into Your Power | Ray LaMontagne | Long Way Home |
Afterlife | Sharon Van Etten | Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory |
Bad Dreams | Teddy Swims | Bad Dreams |
The Door | Teddy Swims | I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) |
A Fragile Thing | The Cure | Songs of a Lost World |
Arrow | The Head and the Heart | Arrow |
Live For You | Thee Sacred Souls | Got a Story To Tell |
Picture Of You (X+W) | U2 | How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb |
Beaches | beabadoobee | This Is How Tomorrow Moves |
Take a Bite | beabadoobee | This Is How Tomorrow Moves |
Neon Pill | Cage The Elephant | Neon Pill |
Rainbow | Cage The Elephant | Neon Pill |
Loving You | Cannons | Heartbeat Highway |
Sexy to Someone | Clairo | Charm |
Creatures In Heaven | Glass Animals | I Love You So F-ing Much |
Home | Good Neighbours | Home |
Too Sweet | Hozier | Unheard EP |
Cardinal | Kacey Musgraves | Deeper Well |
Nowhere to Run | Kings of Leon | Can We Please Have Fun |
Good Together | Lake Street Dive | Good Together |
Don’t Forget Me | Maggie Rogers | Don’t Forget Me |
Floating Parade | Michael Kiwanuka | Single |
Scared to Start | Michael Marcagi | American Romance |
The Other Side | Michael Marcagi | American Romance |
Highway Queen | Mt. Joy | Highway Queen |
Good People | Mumford & Sons feat. Pharrell Williams | Good People |
My Love Mine All Mine | Mitski | The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We |
Stargazing | Myles Smith | Single |
Heartless | Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats | South of Here |
Wreckage | Pearl Jam | Dark Matter |
Real Good Love | Pete Yorn | Single |
Someday, Someday | Pete Yorn | Someday, Someday |
Evolve | Phish | Single |
High | Stephen Sanchez | Angel Face |
On The Game | The Black Keys | Ohio Players |
Burial Ground | The Decemberists | As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again |
Oh No! | The Decemberists | As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again |
Run Your Mouth | The Marias | Submarine |
Wanna Be Loved | The Red Clay Strays | Made by These Moments |
Wondering Why | The Red Clay Strays | Moment of Truth |
Capricorn | Vampire Weekend | Only God Was Above Us |
Nothing Matters | The Last Dinner Party | Prelude to Ecstasy |
Sinner | The Last Dinner Party | Prelude to Ecstasy |
Lose Control | Teddy Swims | I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part I) |