Vocal harmonies hit me every time.

On October 1st, Sinnober plans to release their third studio album, Projection. The 2-piece band gave us a glimpse of the album with the release of their beautifully written song, “Angels of Fire and Snow”. By the sound of it, Sinnober is preparing to add another masterly body of work to their growing discography. We have a couple of months before Projection is unveiled, but Sinnober has left us a fragment of rare stone. With mesmerizing vocals and cryptic passages, “Angles of Fire and Snow” is a worthy song to experience firsthand.

It’s great stumbling across a song that takes you completely by surprise. After listening to “Angels of Fire and Snow” and familiarizing myself with Sinnober, I quickly became a fan.

 

“Angels of Fire and Snow”

 

This song begs multiple listens, and it’s the perfect track to throw on repeat to digest layer by layer. Sinnober paints a rich soundscape with rich orchestration and vocals tinted with a somber tone. Minimalism is a characteristic few musicians can capture effectively. “Angels of Fire and Snow” isn’t weighed down by many instruments at all. Instead, it’s a very delicate song that floats seamlessly from verse to chorus with little to stand in the way. Sinnober has given us a great track that samples an enjoyable slice of Projections.

Vocally, Sebastian and Natalie Brice are a perfect match. Neither vocalist overpowers the other, so every line has a smooth, harmonious balance. The melody of the chorus is catchy, to say the least. There is a crisp shuffle of percussion that dots the backdrop. Overall, it’s very nice song.

I felt the heat of the fire

Carving rivers tenderly

They said ‘read me’

‘Just not too literally’

Sinnober effortlessly breathes life between every line, while personifying the world around us. It’s hard to come by a songwriting duo that can personify the extremes so well. 

“Angels of Fire and Snow” is a gorgeous mystery. It’s a great song to interpret from multiple angles. Admittedly, Sinnober doesn’t fall into a category of music I hunt for; however, I’m a fan of their songwriting style and beautiful vocal work. It speaks volumes to have a band make an emotional impact on us outside of our norm.

Give “Angels of Fire and Snow” a thoughtful listen, and keep your eyes open for Projections when it releases October 1st.

Check out Sinnober.com for more.

 

We got in touch with Sebastian and Natalie Brice of Sinnober to talk about their songwriting approaches and creative background.

You two have a great vocal chemistry that sounds almost effortless. How long have you been writing music together?

Thank you, that’s very kind of you! We’ve been making music together for about 8 years. 

What is your approach to songwriting like? Does one of you tend to write more than the other, or is it a pretty balanced effort?

SB: We have different approaches to songwriting – I usually start with a melody and a chord sequence or hook and Natalie tends to start with lyrics before thinking about melody. We normally meet somewhere in the middle. 

What are some things that inspire you creatively when it comes to writing songs?

NB: I’m inspired by nature and the changing seasons, but what usually tends to prompt a song is when I have a strong emotional response to a situation or experience. I grab my notepad and start writing in free flow and eventually it begins to find form. For me it’s about immersing myself in the experience and getting to the core of what I need to say. 

Do you face writer’s block often as a duo? If so, how do you get past it?

SB: No, not really. Sometimes we might get stuck on a lyric, but if we feel the creativity isn’t coming we try not to push it. I think that usually writer’s block comes when you’re willing something creative to happen and the time isn’t right. 

What is the most important thing to you when it comes to being an artist?

NB: Having the courage to tell the truth in whatever form that takes.

SB: As a musician you’re always getting lots of well meaning advice and the challenge for me is going with my gut instinct instead of being swayed by other people.

Does the bulk of your songwriting happen in the studio or outside the studio?

NB: For me it’s usually in the shower.

SB: Anywhere there’s an acoustic guitar.

“Angels of Fire and Snow” has a very ominous vibe to it. Can you elaborate on the theme?

NB: The title was inspired by the Bahá’i writings. I had just been on a weekend retreat and one of the workshops was about near death experiences. Death isn’t something we openly embrace in Western culture, yet it is such a vital part of our human experience. For me, this song is about glimpsing the mystical in the everyday.

SB: It’s also about the mind-made limitations we place on ourselves and how there’s often a sense of holding back and waiting for the right moment, when really what we need to do is jump in.

How long have you been working on Projection?

SB: We’ve worked on the album for just under a year. We really took our time with this album to let each song find it’s own identity. And we have a 2 year old! So most of the songwriting/recording happens when he’s asleep. 

What artists have you been collaborating with lately?

We wrote Garbo’s Song, which recently got us selected as BBC Introducing Artist of the Week, with our close friend Davey Ray Moor (Cousteaux).  Dave Smith ( Cloudmakers trio, Fofoulah, Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters ) played drums on the record, Heather Truesdall ( Jetsam ) played cello, Daan Temmink ( film composer, jazz pianist) played accordion, Dan Reid played flumpet. 

What do you love most about creating and sharing music?

SB: I love all the different phases of writing, performing, recording & engineering. We also occasionally get lovely personal messages from people who have been moved by our songs and that’s always deeply fulfilling.

NB: I love the studio hysteria that kicks in when you’re collaborating with other musicians! We laugh till we cry.