Firebird Union – Stand & Wait (2025)
A project decades in the making, bound by that special sibling bond where brothers (or sisters) bring together their natural skills to create something truly special and unique, Firebird Union is the soulful creative expression of brothers Ross and Matt Churchill. While their eclectic, expansive musical style and songwriting were heard in their formative years in the vibrant Watford scene, it was only years later that the lads came together in 2019 as Firebird Union. The latest addition to their discography is the single, ‘Stand & Wait’.
Following their EP Monochrome, ‘Stand & Wait’ is…well, it’s rather difficult to completely pin down genre-wise. Slicking daubs of indie-rock, synth-pop, Britpop, and alternative rock with old-school power-pop tones, the track might be called a synthy, poppy, rocky, folky swoosh of music. Penned, composed and produced by the Churchill brothers, ‘Stand & Wait’ is an immersive single taking you along one of those anime-esque sonic rivers with twinkling butterflies fluttering about in kaleidoscopic glory.
The harmonic drive of confident drums, a bold bass, soaring guitars, shimmering keys, and interspersed strings twirl about in a symphonic melody oozing with rhythmic grooves and soothing vibes. One of the more interesting aspects of Firebird Union is how the melodies infuse the best of American and British indie-rock with a transatlantic partnership. Matt in London and Ross in Los Angeles, ‘Stand & Wait’ proves that distance, space, and time zones cannot dent the power of good music.
Melodically, ‘Stand & Wait’ has the “wow, this is so soothing and just feels right” effect, but it is the process of the track’s actual existence that highlights the Churchill brothers’ persistence. Penned in 2005, ‘Stand & Wait’ just didn’t have “a feeling it was good enough…”, but it stuck about for a couple of decades. Skip to 2019, and ‘Stand & Wait’ stepped out, the arrangement refined in Ross’ head. Eventually, while making a cup of coffee, the “obsession took hold” – strings were added, the melody took shape, and the track was sent into the universe. Ross explains:
“Ironically, the song became an allegory for itself. Patience was the key to making it real… only by persevering until the song caught up did everything fall into place. No longer do we have to stand and wait…”
Find out more about Firebird Union on their official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Bandcamp and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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