The Brighton-based four-piece The New Eves is Violet Farrer (guitar, violin, vocals), Nina Winder-Lind (cello, guitar, vocals), Kate Mager (bass, vocals), and Ella Oona Russell (drums, flute, vocals). Their recent single, “Cow Song,” has an immediate visceral quality, with gut-wrenching lead vocals that we were introduced to in the band’s previous singles. These songs are released ahead of The New Eves’ debut album, The New Eve Is Rising, out later this summer.
The primal energy in Violet’s vocals are balanced by the backup intonations from the rest of the band, which add harmonic depth and layers of aural texture. The result is a sound that feels both free-flowing, yet regimented and demanding – like life in a forest, subject to nature’s whims. The track was inspired by the Swedish pastoral tradition of kulning, a powerful female-led vocal technique used to communicate with each other and call cattle across the mountains. The band comments, “It’s a very beautiful thing and it’s loud! This inspired us to use our voices in a new and bigger way.”
While The New Eves fall under the experimental folk umbrella, subtle tempo changes in “Cow Song” push it toward freak-folk, making their sound difficult to categorize. There’s a distinct call-and-chant element reminiscent of 2000s indie rock, but “Cow Song” sounds entirely fresh. The song itself builds gradually from a slow start, with instrumentation and vocals layering in over time. At nearly seven minutes, the track is on the longer side, but its tempo shifts keep it engaging and every aspect of the song holds your attention.
“Cow Song” is released ahead of The New Eves’ debut album, The New Eve Is Rising, out August 1st via Transgressive. Pre-order available here.
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