Check out the dreamy, laid-back ‘Beautiful Thing’ from Peach & Quiet, the musical project of Canada’s Jonny Miller and Welsh-born Heather Read, partners in life and in song. For ‘Beautiful Thing’, they are joined by a group of excellent collaborators, including Nashville-based Steve Dawson who served as producer as well supplying great electric, slide and pedal guitar. Further layers are added by Chris Gestrin on keys and Jeremy Holmes, who delivers a lovely, tuneful bass-line. The languid rhythms and soaring electric guitar contribute to the song’s psychedelic, summer-night feel and, typically for Peach & Quiet, the lyrical focus is an earnest, honest and genuine exploration of a loving relationship. Miller explains: “‘Beautiful Thing’ is an homage to my brother, Tom, who often provides me with guidance and inspiration when I am down in the dumps and/or struggling with something significant. One of the things that Tom will say, to bring me back to the wonderful reality of being alive is, you guessed it, ‘It’s a beautiful thing!’ Over the last few years I’ve noticed more and more people seem to be using that phrase, and at some point it reached a critical mass for me, and I just had to write a song about it. Tom is also a fan-freakin-tastic harmonica player, and I’ve had the pleasure of performing this song with him a few times, which is a real treat!”
The accompanying video features a series of surreal images that fit well with the cosmic, psychedelic feel of the music. Of the video, Miller adds: “We had the pleasure of working with T. Kenta Kikuchi, a supremely talented videographer here on Pender Island, for the filming and production of our video for ‘Beautiful Thing’. For me, this song needed more than just a standard music video treatment, it needed true creativity, and artistic freedom, because that’s what life is all about for us, and this song is all about that dynamic, and how being aware of it can make the difference between just getting by, and truly digging it. Kenta did an absolutely stellar job of capturing that. What a talent, and what a human being!”
‘Beautiful Thing’ is the title track from the Canadian duo’s brand new album, which was released today, 20th January 2023. This 12-song collection is the follow-up to the pair’s well-received 2021 debut ‘Just Beyond the Shine’, which had plenty of airplay and praise across Canada, the USA, Europe and UK. Indeed, in our 8/10 review, we described it as, “An excellent debut, offering a varied selection of songs united by those great harmony vocals and fine production.” Like that first record, the new songs cover a range of styles and demonstrate the duo’s songcraft. Simply put, this is music to enjoy. Try out the single and then sit back and absorb the new album.
