A haunting rumination on human mortality and the unstoppable passage of time, Woven Hollow’s newest single, “Ten Feet Under,” submerses listeners in the atmospheric sound of the Rocky Mountain folk scene.
Woven Hollow — pioneered by husband and wife Anna Murphy and Van Wampler — is partly named after the lush forests of the couple’s home in Glenwood, Colorado. Their music taps into the tranquil darkness found in the depths of the woods, creating “a space where folk pop meets ambient melancholy.”
Murphy and Wampler met in 2017, drawn together by a mutual appreciation for music and nature. After a few recording sessions together, they formed Woven Hollow and began working on their first full-length album. The pair draws musical inspiration from a wide range of artists, including Neko Case, Phoebe Bridgers, and Aimee Mann among others. Their album, which started off as a folk project, later expanded to become more genre-inclusive.
Released in October, “Ten Feet Under” is Woven Hollow’s fifth single. Featuring Murphy and Wampler on guitar and vocals, Camille Backman on fiddle, and Kelly Thompson on trumpet, the song starts with a drumbeat reminiscent of an anxious heartbeat. “I hear the time is ticking,” the duo sings solemnly, almost hymn-like.
The ethereal harmony fades abruptly into raucous fiddle, and the mood becomes more energetic and impatient. “We don’t have much time around,” the duo sings, a call to action. While the song as a whole expresses the back-and-forth emotional uncertainty of reflecting on life and feeling both happiness and regret, this section seems to urge listeners to remember that life is fleeting, so don’t spend too much of it looking back.
Finally, the duo takes the perspective of what could be interpreted as a fading soul: “The only thing I can even sense / Is the glowing essence of energy / That’s enough for me,” they sing, with a lone trumpet rising in the background.
“We don’t have much time around / May not seem so profound,” the duo repeats in the chorus, while the trumpet hits a final, unearthly high note, leaving listeners to ponder the song’s somber message to appreciate their limited time before it’s too late.
Listeners can keep an eye out for Woven Hollow’s upcoming album release, which the duo recently hinted on social media is “just around the corner.”
