‘River’ is a song born from the heaviness of grief, a reflection on the aching process of watching someone you love in pain. It's about the desire to give them peace, and the deep, unspoken wish that everyone surrounding them can find some form of relief too. The song hopes to paint a picture of visiting grief—accepting it, sitting with it, and acknowledging it without running from it. There's a sense of wanting to create a safe, quiet place for sorrow, a sanctuary where pain can settle and not consume. At its core, ‘River’ is about yearning for a break from the constant weight of grief, for both the person who is grieving and for those watching from the outside. It's about giving yourself and others permission to rest, to breathe, and to heal. The song suggests that, while grief never fully goes away, we can learn to exist alongside it in a way that feels more peaceful.

Roddy

River

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‘Dog’ is a different approach of songwriting for me, something more pop focused - I loved exploring this genre. It is meant to serve as an empowering reminder after a breakup to embrace the strength in letting go of what no longer serves you. The track draws from the unspoken bond between women who come together to share their stories, wisdom, and experiences—helping one another realise what to accept and what they deserve. It's about surviving the end of a relationship knowing that staying true to yourself will help to heal and move forward. ‘Dog’ is about trusting that, in the end, those who do wrong will face the consequences, and that, as individuals and as a community, we have the power to rise above and move forward.

‘Dad Duet’ is a song I get to sing with my dad, who plays in an 80s cover band and has been my duet partner for as long as I can remember. His voice is deep, gravelly and always reminds me of Nick Cave and it’s a gift to harmonise with someone whose voice is so intrinsically tied to my own history. The song itself speaks of a tumultuous relationship—one marked by highs and lows—but also the deep yearning to stay together, to fight through the rough patches, and to build something lasting. It’s about the promise of a safer, more healing love, one that can bring peace and stability. In many ways, the song reflects the complexities of choosing to love someone, even when the road isn’t always smooth. There’s hope in it, a commitment to grow together and heal the wounds that may have formed along the way.

Dad Duet

The EP begins with a cover of the Bee Gee’s classic, ‘Islands in the Stream’ made famous by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. The song, famously known as a duet, has  been reimagined for my choir and is layered with lush, intertwining harmonies. It is an exploration of harmony—not just in music, but in relationships. The lyrics speak of two people coming together to build a life rooted in mutual understanding and affection. I felt so touched by the idea of people fitting and belonging together and choosing to love each other. Through this arrangement, I wanted to capture the beauty of finding people you can truly be yourself around and loving them wholeheartedly.

Islands in the Stream

The final track of my EP, ‘Roddy’, is a deeply personal letter to my grief following the passing of my Grandma Roddy. It’s a tribute to her legacy, a way of honouring the profound impact she had on my life, and it captures the feeling of holding on to someone’s memory long after they’re gone. This song has a touch of theatre, with a classical feel that evokes images of her playing Chopin CDs in the kitchen while we gathered around her. One of my favourite lines, "Every mid-December you brought us together, now we know the parts to every carol off by heart," captures her legacy—how she brought us together each holiday season and how, even in her absence, her spirit lives on through the traditions she created. The song is a reminder that she is always with us, as long as we are singing, as long as we continue to come together. It’s about the power of song and community to keep loved ones alive in our hearts, and a tribute to the ways in which her influence will never fade.

Stella Cain

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