Words By: Bre Offenberger

The Wandering Hearts, a folk/Americana group from the U.K., have released a video for “Gold,” the first single under their new label, Cooking Vinyl. The track comes alongside an announcement of the band’s forthcoming album, a self-titled endeavor that will drop on July 30.

AJ Dean-Revington opens the track with his ever-recognizable rasp against dramatic keys and a folksy guitar line that sounds like it was made for an anthem — and it was. Harmonies from bandmates Tara Wilcox and Chess Whiffin join in and mix seamlessly before bursting at the seams in the chorus to tell their loved one it’s only up from the pain they’re currently feeling. Dean-Revington spends the verses sharing his own experiences with affliction and his methods of overcoming it, which he promises will work if they truly believe they will. The trio, in reminding them their scars are something to be proud of with a soothing guitar-ridden melody, have created a folksy dream.

The video finds the three hiking through a forested area on abandoned railroad tracks, shot on a camera that purposely lacks modern-day high quality. With trippy streaks of colors aglow around the trees and fields they walk through, the band appear not of this Earth — almost too beautiful for it. Their smiles don’t falter even for a second as they bask in the gorgeous scenery around them and savor the moment. At a few points, they whip out their instruments and sing for each other, feeling in their element. They stay there even after sunset and continue to walk, searching for more stunning places of inspiration.

Of the track, the band shares: “‘Gold’ stemmed from the idea of something becoming more beautiful after being broken. We had chatted about the Japanese art form kintsugi, which repairs pottery with lacquer mixed with gold. This was the perfect imagery for what we were writing about. Our scars are a visual representation of our struggles and our stories of loss are stories of survival. ‘Gold’ feels even more connected and poignant now, after a year of so much loss and everyone just trying to survive.”

“Gold” is the follow-up to the band’s life-changing debut album, Wild Silence, which led them to open for icons Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks. The Wandering Hearts started the year virtually, of course, making appearances at SXSW, AmericanaFest UK and Philadelphia Folk Festival’s Cabin Fever Fest. They plan to end their year with the In Harmony headline tour, which was supposed to start nearly a year ago but was postponed due to the pandemic. If the band keeps churning out tracks like “Gold,” there’s no reason they won’t be as big — if not bigger — than the artists for which they’ve already opened.

Feature Image By: Shane McCauly