Copenhagen-based artist Kirsten Hildegard melds dreamy folk and pop cohesion on new single “Still the Waves,” which takes inspiration from Søren Kierkegaard’s reinterpretation of the Danish folk ballad “Agnete and the Merman.” “While the original 18th century ballad centers on Agnete’s abandonment of the sea, the Merman, and her supernatural children, Kierkegaard reimagines the story through the eyes of the Merman— a figure trapped in inward despair—burdened by guilt and unable to offer himself fully without risking the very love he desires,” Hildegard explains. “It was this blend of mythical imagery and existential yearning that resonated most with me.”
Originally from New York, Hildegard collaborated remotely with producer Nick Honchar on the track. The partnership results in an atmospherically enthralling success, building from quaint folk sea-gazing yearning into a second half with gorgeous synths, acoustic strums, and steady percussion. In addition to the artist’s love for Danish myths and Søren Kierkegaard influencing the track, it also holds further personal weight — drawing from both the birth of her sister-in-law’s son Storm, which took place the same week the track was written, and the passing of her father at an early age. “My father passed away in a diving accident when I was a child and the lingering grief surfaces in the line: ‘Sitting at the bottom of the sea, sorrowing.’ I borrowed this image from Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling, where he describes the Merman,” Hildegard says.
“Still the waves of my heart,” Hildegard’s initial vocals let out, haunting within a lushly inviting backing — calming like waves washing upon a seashore. The yearning “for a love that can never be” is followed by more prominent guitar strums and slight rhythms, as the “falling in and out of reverie” sequence takes hold. “Still the Waves” is a powerful success from Hildegard, poetically tracing new life and lingering grief alike within a dreamy, meditative allure.
Cover Art Credit: Lina Romanova
—
This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
