‘Be My Friend’ is a song about the enduring power of friendship. Recorded in the house she grew up in and reflective of the ambience of her immediate surroundings, ‘Be My Friend’ serves as a postcard from present to past. Written when Astra was 19 and reworked in the present day, Astra Forward’s debut single is a coming of age song. Tender and honest, Astra Forward is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer who writes dreamy and intimate songs about nature and human connection.

Be My Friend

Written during a difficult time, ‘There, There, Here is Here’ is a love song to the unknown and an antidote to loneliness. It is a lullaby for the dark night of the soul and chronicler of the first glimmer of light seen at the end of the tunnel. 

Astra Forward writes “It feels like this song was written for me, not by me…because when my world collapsed, 'There, There, Here is Here' was what I needed to hear. My hope is that it can be your medicine too.”

This is a collaboration with artist & musician Pascal Colman with his guitar serving as a comforting presence, emerging from the unknown and enveloping the listener. Recorded live in a church in the heart of the countryside, this recording seeks to amplify the sense of magnitude and intimacy inherent to the song.

There, There, Here is Here

There, There, Here Is Here

Animal is Track 1 from the new EP Dawn/Dusk.  the songs were recorded live over two days in Stödvarfjördur, East Iceland, following a month-long residency at The Fish Factory Creative Arts Centre with Chris Richardson (harmonies/drums) and Pascal Colman (electric guitar/field recording).

This song is a daydream exploring the cerebral experience of primal chemistry and the opposing thoughts that can arise therein. The recording features wolf howls from band members, artists and facilitators on the residency.

Animal

Written for a friend during lockdown, A Dream on The 17th Floor is a song for those who are far away, and those closest to them.

The title is inspired by an except from 'Sitting by the Well', the lecture series by Marion Woodman, Jungian analyst and author.

A Dream On The 17th Floor

Ben’s Birds is a vivid and intimate recollection of long-lost friendship in an attempt to bring fading memories back into colour. A prayerful portrayal of impermanence, grief and what endures beyond it, Ben’s Birds brings to life the power and beauty of friendship and human connection, a recurring theme in Astra’s work. 

The song was recorded over two days at Moss studios with Callum Mcguinness and is the artist’s largest recorded arrangement to date. The track features Joe Taylor (Anna B. Savage/Jasmine Jethwa) on drums/percussion, Callum Mcguinness on production, bass and nylon strung guitar, and Laura Hussey on violin.

“With writing Ben’s Birds, I hoped to bring into colour ageing memories that felt like they were fading,” says Astra. “The song seeks to reflect something of this gentle soul’s beauty and our connection, while expressing broader themes of memory, endurance and grief.  I look forward to it being in the world and connecting with people outside of just my own thoughts, as well as bringing it to life live with a band."

A new song for an old friend, Ben’s Birds is an ethereal space-folk ballad delivering poignant lyrics which highlight the stark contrast between images of memory and the reality of loss.
 
This latest release is a follow-up to ‘A Dream on The 17th Floor’ which features on Oscar Lowe’s film ‘Wormford’, and her EP ‘Dawn/Dusk’, recorded in Stöðvarfjörður, East Iceland, with a band (Chris Richardson, Pascal Colman), following a month-long creative residency there, supported by Help Musicians

Astra Forward is a SE London based alt-folk/experimental singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer. She writes ethereal and intimate songs about the power of nature and human connection, exploring themes of grief, mysticism and impermanence. 

Astra Forward has written with Erland Cooper on the title track of his album ‘Sule Skerry’ Her vocals feature on Cooper’s score for ‘Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story’ and his albums ‘Hether Blether' and 'Sule Skerry'. She has performed extensively throughout Europe and the UK as a solo artist, and as keyboardist/singer with Diagrams 8-piece band (Sam Genders/Tunng), The Robot Heart and Welfare, supporting St. Vincent, Gomez, Athlete and Steve Mason among others.



Reviews:

"Astra Forward boasts a voice we can believe in" MP3 Hugger

"Bewitching, magically hypnotic" Other Side Reviews

“A timeless ethereal atmosphere channeling a bond between human emotion and the natural world that feels somehow ancient…at once delicate and powerful” John Doyle for Various Small Flames

“The calming energy of meditation and prayer” Leela Iyer for Sinusoidal Music

“…Remarkably soft, subtle and yet deeply moving…Astra Forward’s bewitching vocal performance sounds like a lullaby amidst a deep and almost unrepentant darkness.” Karnic Sundar for Find No Enemy

"Watching Astra Forward {at Iklectik, London} felt like seeing an old friend who you haven't seen in a long time, and realising that they've changed completely forever.  And you can't help but falling in love with them all over" Mark Nelson (Pan American)

Ben's Birds

Astra Forward Releases New Single ‘Mother’, a haunting glimpse into grief and mysticism.

Release date: Friday August 29th, London, UK.

Ethereal folk artist Astra Forward unveils her newest single, ‘Mother’, a cinematic and intimate piece that fuses dirge-like textures and haunting vocals with shifting time signatures and dreamlike natural imagery.

Mother features transcendent violas from Abi Fry (Sea Power), funeral-march drums/backing vocals from Chris Richardson, electric guitar/textures from Chris Torry (Office of Aurora) and backing vocals from Emi Mundy-Ross.

Following the atmospheric resonance of her previous release ‘The Light I Hold’, ‘Mother’ continues to explore grief and transformation though Astra Forward’s signature blend of cinematic folk, experimental arrangements and emotive lyricism. It is the second single from the forthcoming EP ‘Songs For The Living’, which will be released in the autumn.

Astra says: “Written during a period of isolation, this song evolved into something greater than the sum of its parts through collaboration. It feels to me now like a ritual descent into the underworld, an acknowledgement of grief and the human condition while also hopefully expressing something beautiful and precious, a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel...”

Mother was mastered by Rupert Clervaux, who also mixed the Iceland recorded 2024 EP ‘Dawn/Dusk’, supported by Help Musicians. Produced by Chris Torry (Office of Aurora) and recorded at his home studio in South London, Astra Forward’s ‘Mother’ blends intimate vocals with dark-folk/cinematic textures, evoking comparison to Marissa Nadler, Kate Bush and Tim Buckley, while carving out a sound uniquely her own.

Astra Forward is an alt-folk/experimental musical artist based in South East London. She is described as having ‘a sweet voice that will tear your heart out’ by Roadie Music and as ‘bewitching…magically hypnotic’ by Other Side Reviews. Astra has written and composed with Erland Cooper on the title track of his album ‘Sule Skerry’. Her vocals feature on Emmy nominated soundtrack to documentary film ‘Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story’. With roots in experimental free-improvisation, acoustic songwriting and with an ear for cinematic arrangements, Astra continues to build an otherworldly soundscape that resonates with fans of Marissa Nadler, Beth Gibbons and Tim Buckley.

Mother

Astra Forward is a SE London based alt-folk/experimental singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer. She writes ethereal and intimate songs about the power of nature and human connection, exploring themes of grief, mysticism and impermanence. 

Astra Forward has written with Erland Cooper on the title track of his album ‘Sule Skerry’ Her vocals feature on Cooper’s score for ‘Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story’ and his albums ‘Hether Blether' and 'Sule Skerry'. She has performed extensively throughout Europe and the UK as a solo artist, and as keyboardist/singer with Diagrams 8-piece band (Sam Genders/Tunng), The Robot Heart and Welfare, supporting St. Vincent, Gomez, Athlete and Steve Mason among others.

Reviews:

“Astra Forward boasts a voice we can believe in” Kevin at mp3 Hugger 

“A timeless ethereal atmosphere channeling a bond between human emotion and the natural world that feels somehow ancient…at once delicate and powerful” John Doyle for Various Small Flames

“The calming energy of meditation and prayer” Leela Iyer for Sinusoidal Music

“…Remarkably soft, subtle and yet deeply moving…Astra Forward’s bewitching vocal performance sounds like a lullaby amidst a deep and almost unrepentant darkness.” Karnic Sundar for Find No Enemy

"Watching Astra Forward {at Iklectik, London} felt like seeing an old friend who you haven't seen in a long time, and realising that they've changed completely forever.  And you can't help but falling in love with them all over" Mark Nelson (Pan American)

Mother

Astra Forward

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