Enjoy the uplifting sound of The Foreign Landers on their latest single ‘Traveler’. There are sweet harmonies, gorgeous melodies and fine musicianship to absorb, all accompanied by an artfully-shot video featuring beautiful landscapes and old family photographs to reinforce that feeling of wistful nostalgia. The whole package is engaging. The Transatlantic duo benefit from the bluegrass of South Carolina’s David Benedict and the love of traditional folk that comes from Northern Ireland’s Tabitha Agnew. Just as they have found love with one another from across the world, so these two musical genres have been blended to create something fresh. It does all feel like it was meant to be: while growing up, Benedict was a member of the only Celtic folk band in town in Southern California, while Agnew was inspired by Alison Krauss and Union Station to pick up and learn the 5 string banjo. Now married and living in the USA, the pair are delivering genuine, heartfelt songs that are well-crafted and expertly arranged.
Particularly notable in ‘Traveler’ are Benedict’s exquisite mandolin and Agnew’s beautiful banjo; their instruments flow together much as their voices combine so naturally. In the video, the scenery captured is the north shore of Northern Ireland near where Agnew was raised, reflecting the song’s narrative, which is written from the perspective of her parents and their feelings about her leaving home and moving so far away. The emotive subject is dealt with sensitively and the families it’s dedicated to will be moved by such as song.
This is the first new material from the pair since last year’s EP ‘Put All Your Troubles Away’ and it’s the first single from their forthcoming album ‘Traveler’s Rest’, which we can expect to drop later in 2022. On this evidence, we can look forward to tender, thoughtful songs, performed with great skill. Enjoy.
