Valkyrie’s Bard – MOVEMENT (2026)
Raised in a musical family – her mother, Diane Laura Miller, having taught musical theory and composition for nearly 50 years – singer-songwriter Sarah Miller’s relationship with music is not learned, but rather instinctual. From childhood, Miller trained in classical piano, violin and compositional theory – a “…structural understanding of music [that] underlies everything she writes…”; however, it is not only music where Miller finds solace and expresses her creativity. An award-winning and internationally recognised tattoo artist, she has built a career with a distinctive style that is entirely her own. Now, in her late thirties, she returns to storytelling and songwriting when “…watching events in the world became too much to bear. Songwriting gave me an outlet and maybe a way to help others going through the same thing.”
Releasing music under the moniker, Valkyrie’s Bard, US-based Miller follows her well-received single ‘Drops In An Ocean’ with ‘MOVEMENT’. Self-penned, composed and produced, ‘MOVEMENT’ finds that sweet spot between alternative pop and alternative rock with flutters of hard rock wavering across the synth-driven layers. Bold beats pulse beneath like a heartbeat pumping in your body, while electric keys glide along, offering both haunting chill and an odd sense of companionship. Brief violin wails break through like a distant voice searching for meaning, and an acoustic piano peeps from behind the trees, slipping something more natural into the dark-pop melody.
For me, the melody itself is not inspiring, but the vocals that up the sweep of dramatic elegance. Rich and sweet, Miller’s voice dances across the track in an empowering and hopeful way, as if she leads a mass of people in a powerful protest. Moreover, backing shouts enhance a sense of belonging, like you know something important is happening, and you’re not facing it alone. Miller explains: “‘MOVEMENT’ is a dark-pop anthem about collective awakening – grief as instrument, voice as frequency, the moment people stop feeling alone in it.”
Hard-hitting and anthemic with a sentimental insight and sincerity, ‘MOVEMENT’ is a great introduction to Valkyrie’s Bard. I highly recommend this artist and look forward to more material.
Find out more about Valkyrie’s Bard on her X, Instagram, YouTube, Soundcloud and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
Listen to more alternative rock music on The Other Side Reviews Alternative Rock playlist
