Iamthemorning have announced that they will release a new four-track EP, Counting The Ghosts, on December 4. The self-released EP was recorded in isolation in the UK, Russia and Canada, and features two new original songs from the duo of Marjana Semkina and Gleb Kolyadin, alongside two traditional Christmas choral pieces that have been reimagined by the band.
"Cradle Song is something I wrote just a couple of weeks ago - it wasn't supposed to be anything, just a demo I recorded spontaneously to try out the new guitar," explains singer Marjana Semkina. "Gleb loved it so we decided to use the track and arranged it together - i play the guitar myself in the final recording alongside our sound guy Vlad Avy who added his guitar on top of it. The lyrics are influenced by writings of William Blake and stylised after him.
"Title track Counting The Ghosts is a thought provoking tribute to the dark year that has been 2020. As you will hear i don't have much good things to say about it. This year is over but nothing feels right, we have come a full circle while burning alive" pretty much sums it up for me."
The other tracks on the EP see the duo adding their own twist to two traditional festive songs, the 12th century hymn Veni Veni Emmanuel, which sees Marjana singing in Latin, were inspired by the works of Benjamin Britten. The more modern piece I Wonder As I Wonder which was thought to be collected by John Jacob Niles in 1933 from a young traveling evangelist Annie Morgan.
"This arrangement is based on the one by John Rutter but again adjusted to fit the character of music we make," says Semkina.
Pre-order Counting The Ghosts.
Iamthemorning: Counting The Ghosts
1) I Wonder As I Wander
2) Cradle Song
3) Counting The Ghosts
4) Veni Veni Emmanuel
