PROMISED LAND


Promised Land is the newest gorgeous work of Australian Alternative Singer/Songwriter Matthew Gilbert. 

Composed with soaring lush string sections which gleam from ear to ear with hopeful sweet tones, whilst being placed between soulful, melancholic vocals. Promised Land speaks to hopeful expectations sometimes not being what they’re cracked up to be.

For Matthew this rings true as he sings about the last 5 years of his life summed into the phrase ‘It’s not what I thought of the Promised Land’

Sometimes what we think our future looks like and what God and life have planned can look very different. Promised Land is about managing life within these experiences and allowing yourself to be formed and grow in the place you are now. Maybe things are better off than what we planned ourselves.

Many incredible musicians and instrumentalists feature of this song who play the part of ‘The People’. The body who voices who make up the majority of the chorus and echo the heart cry of the track. ‘Make your way, oh God’ 

Matthew believes that it is together where we are able to best navigate the to’s and fro’s of life and live the everyday well.  

Onwards and upwards.

Promised Land (Radio Edit)

Swim deep they said, it's safe out here,
the Sharks only bite the ignorant,

Immerse yourself, 
let the water wash away 
All of your fear

God is your escape, but not your solution
Jesus is your high, but not your resolution

But there is a waterfall,
Where healing waters pour,
All of your words are true,
Emmanuel, I thank you.

Waterfalls

From the EP, 'XVII'. 

Written, produced, engineered, mixed & mastered by Jacob Sells.
Drums co-engineered with Charlie Irvine.
Additional vocals & lyrics by Christopher MacLeod.

XVII

Confident Expectation

Confident Expectation (feat. Christopher MacLeod)

Lyrics:


The heaven of beginning
Fades in the sun
Love is forgotten
My chest is numb

The crown once on my head
The carpet under my feet
Pull it out
From under me

I won't let you fade away
I won't let you fade

You're not ordinary
You're so much more
These candles will paint the night
Where the sky meets the ground

Swimming upstream
So you know that I love you
You'd do it for me
You've done it before

Fight the familiar
Get behind me (behind me deceiver)
Love has a memory
It needs reminding

Candles (demo)

This is a song about watching someone you love go through a deep season of depression and feeling completely helpless.

The Process

The Process - Matthew Gilbert

Lyrics:


Gardener
Come water me 
It's been so long
Since I've tasted green

This ground is dry
Damp as dust
I'm still alive
But only just

But I feel the light
On my skin
And it's calling me
To life again

Hold me in
Your palms again
Bring me back
To bloom again

Here I'll wait
With nothing left
But the hope
Of your return

But I feel the light
On my skin
And it's calling me
To life again

I'm not giving up
I'm just wilted

Wilted (demo)

Succulent (Flop it out)

I have become a glutton for blood
What have I done? I've slain the son
And then indulged my old carnal man
I indulged my old carnal man

I took and drank from the cup
Before I stopped to examine myself
Sweet rivers of redeeming wine
I'm not fine with these blood/red stained hands
(I'm) not fine with these red stained hands

Upon the cross you hanged and wept
Bled in shame and shed for me
Yet I wield the spear as the carnal man
I wield the spear as the carnal man

Oh, I'm leaving him behind
Come renew my mind, Christ

Carnal Man

ominous

Countrify!

Into The Moon is about being present and in the moment.

I wrote the song at a time when I struggled to intentionally take periods of rest during one of the most challenging times I'd ever faced. Even when I did, I found my mind just couldn’t stop thinking about the next thing I ‘had to do’. I'd made achievements and work my idol.

The image that really encapsulates this feeling is what the single cover artwork turned out to be. It's just me sitting with my wife with no agenda. Just slowing down, being with her and focusing on the moment.

Allowing myself to be.



Endless night
Broke by sunlight
I wish I could have seen it

Beauty comes
Then it goes again
Oh I wish I wasn't dreaming

Oh I'm sinking under
Oh I'm struck by wonder
You're calming my oceans with all of your notions it's fair to say safe to stay

And wait as we gaze
Into the moon

Holding time
Has never been my strength
It's been my weakness

To get out of my own head
And, lay the feelings to rest
Oh I wish it was that simple

Oh I'm sinking under
Oh I was led to plunder
I'm caught in fighting myself and denying it's hard to find the silver lining

I'll wait as we gaze
Into the moon

Into The Moon - Matthew Gilbert

Jacob Sells is a multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer from Melbourne, Australia.

His style flows between different concoctions of post-hardcore, hard rock and metal.

Confident Expectation (feat. Christopher MacLeod)

Jacob Sells

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