Singled Out: Sweet Freedom's The River Of Silver And Gold

Sweet Freedom just released their new album, "According to Jorgen Schelander", and to celebrate we asked Jorgen to tell us about the song "The River Of Silver And Gold". Here is the story:

The River Of Silver And Gold is very special to me. I knew from the start when I got the intro chords that this was something different. I felt it was the anthem I've been looking for, and for quite some time I had only the intro and the piano riff. I also had the "I can hear the people singing" part lyrically.

This must be the intro to a concert I felt. You know, just minutes before the curtain falls and the band hits the stage. In my mind I saw the picture of a band just waiting to begin their show and they can hear the crowd that builds up the tension, the rush from the adrenaline. So even though the song wasn't finished I already had the arrangement done, what the song was going to be. We start from the beginning singing only with one voice and then we go from there adding more voices and instruments until there's a full choir combined with drums, guitar, bass, piano and organ. That was my vision but then it took me some time to do just that and to finish the song.

I call this style of music gospel in odd time, gospel rock or perhaps Elton John goes metal. I haven't decided yet but it makes you wonder what this is, don't it? Since the song is in odd time most of the time it gives the song character, but don't try and dance to it.

The lyrics breathe the same air as the song. It is kind of an introduction to my music and to this band, Sweet Freedom, and what we're about. The lyrics are pretty straight forward, this is who we are and you are welcome to join us on our musical journey, which this album is. I think the lyrics makes you happy just the same way as the music does, and you want to listen to it again and again.

Another thing was when we recorded the gospel choir for the song. My friends Karner/Perrelli Vocals, Karolina Karner and Teresa Perrelli, wrote the gospel arrangement and the choir Ekero Gospel agreed to come to the studio to sing. But since the world was hit by the pandemic and we still had restrictions in Sweden we had to figure out a way to do that. How to record a gospel choir with an ongoing pandemic and restrictions? Well, first we hade to reduce the number of people in the studio at the same time. Second everybody had wear masks unless they were singing and then the hardest part, the choir had to stand separated in the studio as they were singing. But with lots of different microphones, good energy, many overdubs and a military kind of discipline with hygiene we finally had the whole choir recorded. But I still laugh when I in my mind see Karolina and Teresa leading the choir waving their hands and singing a long wearing a mask. But we got a fantastic gospel choir recorded and no one got covid, so I guess we did something right.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more about the album here

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