Sage Fisher and I have something in common: we have both been brought to tears by trees.
For me, it happened as I hiked through a grove of bristlecone pines high up on Wheeler Peak back in the summer of 2013. Simply being in the presence of these ancient organisms turned me into the "double rainbow guy" for a moment. I broke down, overwhelmed by my immediate surroundings, but also by the vastness of time and my own relative insignificance.
I think Fisher would approve of this reaction, because in May 2019, she had a similar experience. Walking on a clear spring day, Fisher paused at the base of a cherry tree and looked skyward into the layers of blossoming pink. Her breath deepened, and she began to feel, in her words, "a thaw." Tears of gratitude came, followed by an appreciation of the unfathomable beauty all around her. Reflecting beneath this canopy, Fisher considered the inseparability of beauty and pain, understanding that this duality sits at the core of what it means to be human. It truly is incredible what one can realize when underneath a tree.
Dolphin Midwives, photo by Riot Act Media. Cover photo provided by same source.
Sage Fisher, who makes music as Dolphin Midwives, is set to release her next album this summer though Beacon Sound. The full-length out on July 9th is titled Body of Water, and while the work's central themes are rooted in the catharsis of crying and the transformative power of tears (subjects which Fisher has spent a good amount of time researching), her new single out this morning feels like a reference to that specific cherry tree epiphany. DC is honored to premiere it in this space.
Bloom is warbling mix of Fisher's layered vocals and ambient noise - perhaps synth and a little harp? She sings the phrase "I want to feel something" over and over again in her lilting soprano, the lyrics fading in and gradually out again, like tidal movement. Do not assume, however, that a harp + soprano blend carries with it a fragile tone. Fisher's delivery is crystalline, yes, but shines with confidence and strength. The repeated lyric does not feel like a vague hope, but instead a clear desire to revisit that spring day, and to remember the power of those tears shed beneath pink blossoms.
Listen to Bloom below, and if you are so moved on this (final?) Bandcamp Friday, check out the single and preorder Body of Water on Beacon Sound's Bandcamp page.