Naomi Westwater (they/them) releases “Crows” alongside the official music video from their highly anticipated album, Cycle & Change,due out May 9. [Pre-save]
Rooted in folk but charged with a supernatural energy, “Crows” captures the duality of these birds as both harbingers and guides. Lush instrumentation and hypnotic vocals pull listeners into a world where omens and intuition reign. The song’s strict rhyme and form, Westwater notes, come from its origins as a poem, one that became a spell whispered in the wind. [Stream + Watch].
A reflection on a pivotal winter in Westwater’s life, “Crows” lingers in the stillness before transformation. “I was home from college, working at a sleepy bookstore in my sleepy beach town. Very bored and very lonely. Then I started to see crows everywhere. At work, out my window, dead and sandy on the beach of Waquoit Bay. At first, I thought they were death omens (Edgar Allan Poe), but learned that crows actually represent change. I later went on to have the most transformative year of my life. This song reflects back on a moment just before a big change happened,” Westwater said.
Cycle & Change blends introspective folk with subtle jazz influences, featuring Westwater’s glacial, dynamic vocals set against organic, earthy instrumentation with delicate acoustic guitar, ethereal keys, and thoughtful arrangements, creating a reflective, emotionally resonant atmosphere that evolves with each track. Westwater explores themes of sexuality, queerness, climate change, trust, spirituality, and motherhood on this record.“
Written over the last decade, the album reflects the profound life changes I’ve experienced, shaped by the pandemic, isolation, friendship, the loss of a grandparent, Roe v. Wade, queerness, and even my connection to gardening. It’s a deeply personal journey through growth and transformation.”
Through both haunting and anthemic melodies at its core, Cycle & Change is an invitation to embrace vulnerability, emotion, and personal growth, encouraging reflection on one’s own transformative journey. The collection channels both joy and sorrow, sensuality and fear, through nuanced storytelling and melodic depth.
Westwater’s artistry serves as both a mirror and a guide, offering a space for personal exploration and change.Recorded in an old church at Ghost Hit Recording in West Springfield, Massachusetts, Cycle & Change captures the spirit of the changing seasons as leaves fell on the tombstones surrounding the church, the album took shape, reflecting Westwater’s efforts to merge their spirituality with their music and fully embrace their identity as both a songwriter and a witch.
Westwater will be performing at Reclaiming Folk: Celebrating People of Color in Folk Music series which returns on March 22 to the Boston Public Library, created by Naomi Westwater. To raise awareness, they are working to expand perceptions of folk music through the series to include people of color and queer musicians. “All modern American music has its roots in Black and Indigenous music,” they said. This program is brought by The Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture (City of Boston).
Photo Credit: Ally Schmaling
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