Bride & Groom

"If I Should Die Before I Wake"

BY Sarah MurphyPublished Jun 10, 2015

Jesse Daniel Smith and Kaitlyn Raitz are set to reveal their full-length debut as Bride & Groom when On the Run arrives later this week — and to mark the occasion, Exclaim! is giving you the first listen to brand new cut "If I Should Die Before I Wake."
 
The album was self-produced and recorded in the duo's Montreal apartment — capturing the band's DIY approach to making music. It's far from a lo-fi aesthetic, though, delivering a lush, modern folk music sound.
 
"If I Should Die Before I Wake" hears the pair collaborating on their first joint lyrical venture; in the past, Smith did the bulk of the writing, with Raitz (a classically trained cellist) coming in at the arrangement stage. But this one hears them working together closely to compose a totally collaborative tune.
 
"The meaning behind the song is two fold: it's about wanting to go back to your roots both literally and figuratively," they explained in a statement. "Kaitlyn is a native of Long Island, NY, and will admit having to occasional homesickness, longing to be on the beach, looking out into the wide open ocean. It's also about how although all life on earth started in the ocean, humans can no longer survive in it."
 
Despite the melancholy subject matter, the song itself is a melodic, upbeat orchestral folk number that is sure to get your foot tapping along. Give it a listen in the player below before On the Run officially lands on June 12.
 

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