In anticipation of its third studio album, You Only Get a Few, Hudson Valley based folk quartet Upstate has released a new single, “Catalpa,” out today on all digital streaming platforms. Inspired by the refreshing energy of spring, the delicately crafted arrangement calls on the yearning harmonies of Mary Webster and Melanie Glenn to paint a sentimental portrait of life’s most transient moments.
“Spring is such a beautiful but fleeting time of year. The flowers brighten the landscape but they’re gone as quickly as they come,” Glenn tells The Bluegrass Situation. “I wrote ‘Catalpa’ after falling in love with the tall catalpa trees in the Hudson Valley. They stuck out to me because they bloom in June, after the flowers, which I thought would be a lovely musical image.”
Beginning with the backdrop of a cold spring rain, “Catalpa” gracefully captures the bittersweet nature of nostalgia – its wistful melody echoing the sensation of longing, while poignant lyrics celebrate the simple pleasures of witnessing the earth return to life after a harsh winter.
Glenn adds, “The chorus came almost as a surprise and carried a much deeper meaning than I had known was there when I was just dwelling on [the trees’] loveliness. The song moves through moods like seasons, from a melancholy quiet spring morning to a warmer summer night, and the brute urgency of the chorus’ reminder that time is unrelenting. Still I think the song finds a reassuring calm in Mother Nature’s ever new promise of spring.”
Reverent of life’s inevitable peaks and valleys, Upstate honors every angle of the human experience on its latest opus. Inspired by the trials and successes the group has seen over the last three years, You Only Get a Few is a testament to the impermanence of everything. Swelling with illustrative verse, winsome arrangements, and poignant motifs, the group’s forthcoming effort is a collection of lilting indie folk – ten songs blossoming from uncertainty and creative collaboration.
You Only Get a Few will be available for streaming across all digital platforms, as well as 180-gram vinyl on Friday, March 31st via Royal Potato Family. Listen to the singles “Befriend” (HERE), “Patty’s Diner” (HERE), “Catalpa” (HERE), and follow along with the band at www.upstatelovesyou.com.
UPSTATE
2023 Tour Dates
03/30 - Allston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
03/31 - Northampton, MA - The Parlor Room
04/1 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
04/2 Woodstock, NY - Colony
04/13 - Baltimore, MD - The 8x10
04/14 - Washington, DC - Pearl Street Warehouse
04/15 - Wayne, PA - 118 North
04/21 - South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
04/22 - Portland, ME - One Longfellow Square
04/27 - Syracuse, NY - 443 Social Club
04/28 - Buffalo, NY - Buffalo Iron Works
04/29 - Rochester, NY - Flour City Station
Tickets on sale now at: UPSTATELOVESYOU.COM
