‘Into the Deep’ by Hector Gannet is a song that swirls and sways, pulling listeners along its gently dramatic sonic currents. Largely and beautifully instrumental, ‘Into the Deep’ is truly lifted when the otherworldly vocals swell. There’s an epic, timeless quality to the song’s ethereal feel and lyrical sweep of meaning. The gorgeous animated video allows us to see the world through the eyes of a whale; the intention is to reveal humanity’s destructiveness. The oceans, crucially, are especially at risk from our activity. A particularly powerful moment is when the vast, shadowy form of the whale passes below a tiny rowing boat. The image shows us our place in the order of things and speaks of all that is unknown and mysterious, hidden in the depths of existence. Jim Bell of Multiminded Media created the visual by animating Deborah Snell’s atmospheric freehand illustrations, the muted palette adding to the sombre mood.
This single is the title track from the the group’s forthcoming EP, which is themed around environmental awareness, ecological disaster and government inaction. The North-East folk group released their debut album, ‘Big Harcar’, in 2020. Paul Gregory of Lanterns on the Lake mixed the entire album. He says: “Hector Gannet write exceptional songs, they have a unique ability to really capture the north east coastline and somehow turn it into music. ‘Into The Deep’ is a perfect example of this, a beautiful tune focusing on a difficult and important aspect of how nature is being affected, it was nice for us to work together and help highlight that fact. We are looking forward to having them play with us in Newcastle later this year.”
This is a magical song, the perfect place to dive in and explore the evocative, sensitive balladry of Hector Gannet.
