UK-based self-taught singer/songwriter, Ali Gilbert, released his brand new tune ‘Run by the River’ at the very end of last year. It’s a beautiful little indie-pop, indie-rock song that the artist described as, “the most creative project I have written and performed.” In under three minutes, Gilbert takes the listener on a sonic rollercoaster, as ‘Run by the River’ effortlessly sways between chilled out moments and more upbeat, poppy sounds. It’s the ease at which the musician makes these transitions that truly caught my attention. There’s something a little special about Ali Gilbert. Lyrically, he wrote the track about subjects like confessions and redemption, but for the first time, through the eyes of a fictional character. Influenced by the likes of Plan B, Sam Fender, The 1975, James Morrison, and Paolo Nutini, Ali Gilbert has crafted his own unique sound and style that will put him in excellent stead going forward.
‘Run by the River’ takes you on a beautiful, indie-pop journey that you don’t want to end!
INDIE TOP 39
What does the song mean to you?
This song is my proudest project to date by a country mile! I loved the whole process start to finish writing this song which unlike my previous releases based upon personal experiences this song and concept is based on a fictional character and about confession and redemption. This song is open to interpretation and although fairly moody and dark concept it hopefully draws in the listeners attention from beginning to end.
Tell us about your creative process and how the song came to be?
I came about writing this song when watching the netflix series Midnight Mass. I loved the settings and visuals and this inspired me to write something along the lines of confession and redemption. I had came up with the hook around early 2021 so I knew after watching this series the kind of ideas and lyrics I wanted to implement within the song. I then came up with a simple 4 chord progression on acoustic guitar so having then laid the foundation I was ready to present to my producer who built the other instrumentation perfectly around the vision of where I wanted to go with the song.
What are your favourite lyrics in the song?
‘It’s out of my control, reap what you sow’ and ‘Mistakes and the paybacks settled my dues’. I think these really resonate with the listener in a way that gets you thinking around the backstory of this fictional character and if all will be forgiven as a result.
What do you want to achieve in the next 12 months with your music?
I hope to reach out my music to a wider audience across the UK and internationally! I would love to support established artists and also host my own headline show in London. I would also like to complete a new 5 track EP by the end of 2022 following this latest release.
Make sure to connect with Ali Gilbert on Instagram » Facebook » Twitter
Now you can listen to all the 39 songs in one place, right here on Spotify!
This coverage was created in collaboration with Musosoup as part of the #SustainableCurator movement.
