The Artisanals – “Way Up” (Video)

This morning, Charleston’s The Artisanals release their new single “Way Up”, which comes from their upcoming album Zia. The album was initially released by the band around this time last year as a Bandcamp exclusive that was active for one week only, so some of their more dedicated fans may have already heard it, but we can expect an official release later this year. The tune was released along with an acoustic video, and comes after the band was silent for a long period and has wiped their Instagram clean for a fresh start.

According to the single’s press release, “‘Way Up’ was inspired by the book Women Who Run With Wolves displaying our human integrity and purpose to metaphorically resurrect ourselves to further our lives. Yes, what goes up must come down, but in terms of spirituality and our emotional  garbage, Johnny Delaware’s last line ‘I’m going way up, & this time I’m never going  down’ symbolizes breaking old patterns and starting over, rediscovering the inside truths  of ourselves and why we came to be born in the first place; a revelation brought on by  the song’s desert landscape in New Mexico.”

In addition to the band’s stated inspiration, one could also assume that The Artisanals are big fans of My Morning Jacket (as everyone should be, in my humble opinion). The peaceful guitar melody that leads us into “Way Up” sounds just like the one leading into MMJ’s popular track “Golden”. From there they stray from the My Morning Jacket path into something like their own thing, with Johnny’s vocals building tension along with the layering of instrumentation towards a quiet comedown in the end.

Listen to “Way Up” by The Artisanals below, and watch the acoustic video below that.