So It Was is an agile, bossa-flavored indie-rock outfit,
described by Various Small Flames as marked by their
“earnest heart and laidback charm.”
Hailing from Louisville, KY, they
just released their sophomore
full-length LP,
Round the Mountain.
With a style honed through years of studying Joanna Newsom and Grizzly Bear,
songwriter Daniel Lobb encourages self-reflection
amidst patriarchy, white supremacy, and runaway climate disaster,
all the while maintaining a “sense of casual ease”
with his “distinctively welcoming delivery.”
P A S T –
Appeared alongside Daniel Martin Moore, Saintseneca, S.G. Goodman, Bendigo Fletcher, Mutual Benefit, John McCutcheon, and on record with Jim James, Joan Shelley, Wendell Berry, bell hooks, and Ben Sollee.
Austin Town Hall
Louisville outfit So It Was just recently dropped their Round the Mountain LP a month or so ago, but as there’s so much great music, I’m just now sliding into it thanks to the brand new video for “Dance Now.” This jam opens with this tension building plucked note; it rings sharply as the vocals speak from the beyond, waiting for the tune to turn. And boy does it ever, with a huge rise at the 1:01 mark where the chorus sets itself up nicely and spins into this blissed out pop groove. It’s a locked in moment that moves the indie rock vibes straight into a spin-around pop moment you’ll be taking with you on your daily adventures. Round the Mountain is out now!
https://austintownhall.com/2023/10/03/so-it-was-share-dance-now-video/
LPM
https://www.lpm.org/music/2023-08-18/light-summer-anthems-with-lots-of-depth-make-up-the-new-album-from-so-it-was-out-now
The headline kind of says it all: Light Summer Anthems with lots of depth make up the new album from Louisville’s So It Was featuring the songwriting and singing of Daniel Lobb. Some of the songs have a breezy, bossa nova feel masking questions of climate change, social injustice, and insecurity in an unfair world. An example of this can be found in “Breewayy” , a song about the struggle for justice for Breonna Taylor in Daniel’s native Louisville. The track floats along on breezy bossa-nova chords, exemplifying an effort to juxtapose serious themes and sweet melodies that draw the listener in. In “You Are Welcome”, Daniel invites the listener to feel security amidst an unfair world. With finger-picked classical guitar and minimalist arrangement, Daniel is able to achieve a moment of direct candor, singing:“You are welcome in this world, no matter your points in the game /The flowers are wilted, the basket is tilted, by kings who don’t even play / You know all those greedy hands will empty and fold in the grave / Ashes to ashes so follow the flashes of lightning bugs calling for rain.”
VARIOUS SMALL FLAMES
‘Speak Now!’, the latest single from Louisville’s So It Was, was born in unexpected circumstances. Because while lead Daniel Lobb was walking through a local park, minding his own business and keeping himself to himself, another person had different ideas. “Someone drove by with the radio blasting, their subs interrupting everyone’s thoughts for a quarter mile in every direction,” Lobb explains. The brazenness of it made him view his own quiet in a new light. “I had to laugh at myself for trying to take no space—we all take space, and that’s ok.”
We previously covered So It Was back in March as part of Whatever Clever‘s Sprigs and Sprays compilation, describing ‘You Are Welcome (In This World)’ as “an overtly political track that somehow manages to embody a much needed oasis of calm in the current climate of greed and bigotry.” ‘Speak Now!’ might not be so direct in its message, but the same combination of earnest heart and laidback charm marks the sound. It’s a track which draws on a rich selection of instrumentation—from trumpet, trombone and clarinet to keyboards and electronics—yet always maintains a sense of casual ease. Something elevated by Lobb’s distinctively welcoming delivery.
FOR THE RABBITS
https://fortherabbits.net/2023/07/21/premiere-so-it-was-swimming-hole/
Something of a fixture in the Louisville music community, So It Was are a four-piece musical project led by songwriter Daniel Lobb. Since releasing the debut So It Was album back in 2019, Daniel has appeared on stage with the likes of S.G. Goodman and Mutual Benefit, and on records by Jim James and Joan Shelley. Now returning to his own music, So It Was are set to release their second album, Round The Mountain, this August, and today are premiering their new single, Swimming Hole.
While we’re all very used to song titles not being all that literal, Swimming Hole’s story does at least begin very on the nose, with Daniel googling, “best swimming holes in California”. From there he set off on an adventure that would lead him to meet his wife and best friend, and to kick a chronic health condition that had, “fogged him down” for a number of years. While that might seem like a stroke of luck, Daniel was actually following in the path of many who had come before him to the golden South Yuba river, a place people have gone to find themselves for almost two hundred years, particularly armed with pans during the gold rush. Struck by the magic of water, Daniel found a new motto for life, “seek the swimming hole”.
Musically, the track enters on a swirl of classical guitar, fingers effortlessly fluttering between notes, lately joined by an equally meandering piano flourish, somewhere between the Hot Club Jazz of the 1930s and the breezy folk of contemporaries like Big Thief or Elvis Perkins. Atop it all Daniel seems almost amazed by his luck, as he sings, “how’d we even find ourselves now? Golden river in misnomer county”, before he seeks to try his luck once more, “toss my hand, I’ll pan for gold, swimming hole, swimming hole”.
If this is all sounding too good to be true, don’t just take my word for it, Daniel’s good friend, and creator of my favourite album of 2022, Benedict Kupstas, aka Field Guides is also a huge fan, describing the track as, “one of my favourite songs on an album of favourite songs”. One that inspired him to think of his own Swimming Hole, “friends have told me of a secret swimming hole near Saugerties, NY, an idyllic spot with a waterfall and a perfect rock ledge from which to leap. I haven’t found it yet, but when I do, I expect to hear this song floating in on the breeze to soundtrack my plunge”. Take the plunge, hit the water and listen to the song, although maybe don’t do both at the same time unless you want to break your headphones.
LAST DAY DEAF
https://lastdaydeaf.com/listening-now-so-it-was-swimming-hole/
So It Was, an indie rock ensemble from Louisville, presents their freshest creation: Swimming Hole, a complex indie folk composition chronicling a fortuitous relocation to California. The tune showcases intertwining motifs of classical guitar and piano, forming a mesmerizing tapestry, all harmoniously entwined with the entrancing vocals. A hint of eeriness in the atmosphere, coupled with the seamless melodies and a tranquil ambiance, captivates the listener right from the outset and gently navigates them towards an ultimate state of auditory euphoria.
BELOW THE RADAR MAG
open.spotify.com/playlist/2H4Ta8ar9cPenlTlWaTj6W
There is a light on its feet quality to Dance Now! but with a title like that you’d expect nothing less! The pulse is real, the set-up taking almost a minute before So It Was let rip in a manner that is suggestive of releasing all their tropical tendencies all at once. So we get psychedelia and we get romance in a tune that sure sounds like it has the sun at its back. Ideal fare for our Below The Radar playlist as a result, link incoming!
VARIOUS SMALL FLAMES
https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2023/08/28/weekly-listening-august-2023-5/
Back in June we wrote about ‘Speak Now!‘ by Daniel Lobb’s So It Was, a “combination of earnest heart and laidback charm” which “draws on a rich selection of instrumentation—from trumpet, trombone and clarinet to keyboards and electronics—yet always maintains a sense of casual ease.” With album Round the Mountain now out, Lobb has released brand new single, ‘Dance Now!’ A song which swaps out the languid calm for something altogether more taut and building, confronting the uneasy truth of change with as much positivity as it can muster. If things are uncertain, then why not roll with the punches and lean into life’s unpredictable rhythms? Watch the video directed/produced by Matt Boyle and Chris Monroe below:
START-TRACK
https://start-track.com/single-so-it-was-speak-now/
a beautiful release and I will revisit it again just to get a full glimpse of the music and Daniel’s voice
IGGY MAGAZINE
Une nouvelle ère est synonyme d’innovation dans tous les domaines et de toutes sortes. La musique est l’un de ces domaines. La musique est un art en constante évolution, selon le lieu et les personnes qu’elle cible. L’influence des compositions musicales ne se mesure pas à l’heure actuelle. Peu de musiciens parviennent à toucher tous les groupes cibles. Mais So It Was dans son nouveau single a réussi à réunir une énorme communauté dans son nouveau single intitulé « Speak Now ! ».
La chanson « Speak Now ! » comble bien l’absence que nous pouvons parfois ressentir. So It Was délivre des paroles intenses et une énergie contagieuse dans chacune des phases de ce titre. Son flow concis et sa voix puissante captivent instantanément les auditeurs.
La production méticuleuse de ce morceau crée une atmosphère sombre et entraînante qui soutient parfaitement le message de So It Was. Avec « Speak Now ! », So It Was s’est avéré être un artiste à surveiller. Son talent indéniable et sa vision artistique unique en font une figure incontournable de la scène.
Laissez-vous tenter par l’énergie brute et l’authenticité de So It Was en écoutant ce morceau intense.
INDIE CHRONIQUE
https://indiechronique.fr/plongez-dans-lenchantement-de-swimming-hole-par-so-it-was
Plongez dans l’enchantement de « Swimming Hole » par l’artiste SO IT WAS : un morceau folk qui bercera votre âme avec la tendresse des guitares, des rythmes apaisants et une voix sucrée qui invite à la rêverie.
Cette composition séduisante se caractérise par une subtile touche jazzy introduite par le piano, apportant une dimension de génie aux arrangements. Chaque note se tisse dans une mélodie captivante, créant une ambiance qui enveloppe délicatement les sens.
« Swimming Hole » est bien plus qu’une simple chanson, c’est un voyage sensoriel qui transporte au-delà des horizons musicaux habituels. La combinaison envoûtante de voix et d’instruments se mêle pour créer une expérience auditive irrésistible. Une œuvre qui capture l’essence même de l’enchantement musical :
EXTRAVAFRENCH
https://extravafrench.com/2023/07/03/un-hommage-a-la-vie-et-a-lamour-speak-now-de-so-it-was/
Un bel hommage à la vie et à l’amour fait d’une façon si raffinée qu’il serait dommage de ne pas en profiter, découvrez Speak Now de So It Was.
Le chanteur et compositeur du groupe Indie rock, qui nous vient de Louisville, So It Was, de son vrai nom Daniel Lobb, nous propose un single qui inspire de la joie et de la détermination à travers un morceau qui sait marier le pop et le rock.
De la douceur, de la force et de la résonance pour un résultat tout simplement époustouflant. Si cet artiste venu d’ailleurs a réussi à conquérir les cœurs, c’est parce qu’il a su tirer le meilleur de chaque instrument tout en créant une harmonie parfaite entre eux. L’alliance entre le piano et la guitare a été réalisée de manière très judicieuse si bien que tout semble naturel !
Speak now de So It Was vous fait sourire mais il vous pousse aussi à réfléchir. Ses paroles vous emplissent de joie et de force intérieure pour faire face à tous vos soucis et vivre sans crainte ni contrainte !
Cet homme n’est pas seulement bourré de talent, il est également très humain et il sait toucher ses auditeurs à travers ses paroles, sa mélodie et sa voix ! C’est un artiste accompli à ne surtout pas rater ! Écoutez Speak Now de So It Was.
LOST IN THE MANOR
https://www.lostinthemanor.co.uk/blog/2023/6/19/litm-rock-picks-bring-you-the-moody-and-revolutionary-music-of-daay-so-it-was-and-more
I couldn’t ever imagine being nostalgic for a sound from a genre of music that saw its genesis almost seventy years ago. But nonetheless, here I am with So It Was’ latest release “Speak Now!”. A lovely Bossa-Nova sound emanates through this track while still having a modern-sounding edge to it, taking you to a tranquil place in your mind. The songwriting on this piece is also brilliantly self-reflective dealing with themes of hesitating to speak your mind with a hopeful note of self-improvement subtly blended into the mix. So It Was has crafted a melodic marvel on this piece and you should go check it out!