We are honoured to premiere today the new single ‘As I Rode Out Of The Cane Field Fire’ from the New England (NSW) duo The Florin Arc.
With a razor sharp production from Hugh Cook that you could cut yourself with, and a sweeping, weeping string undercurrent, this is a rich, lush track that seems to bleed an outback sparsity. Endless horizons, red dirt and vast empty spaces. The epic outro is a magnificent, euphoric and anthemic exit from the vast open fields leaving a sensory overload. The duo says:
Coming in at five and a half minutes, there were some interesting production discussions during the recording of ‘Cane Fields,’ mostly surrounding what to keep in and what to omit. We had to exclude three versus, cut the electric guitars and went with a piano roll part that was made up on the spot in the studio. The repetition of the ‘final act’ speaks to the ‘timeless dance’, it was just too difficult to leave out.”
While ostensibly infused with an alt. country flavour, the track has a blush of gothicism throughout. Think of a Jimmy Webb pop sensibility in a slow waltz with Nick Cave and PJ Harvey, with Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn ready at the side to cut in. A sonic gothic horror Picnic At Hanging Rock with sun-bleached white lace dress matched with dusty boots of ‘The Man From Snowy River’.
Heath Forsyth (guitar and backing vocals) says of the track:
I was trying to bring a sense of Australian country history and heritage to the song. Life is circular, eternal, and unending, a timeless dance. ‘Cane Field Fire’ is a song about revenge but it’s also about redemption and renewal, it’s sacrificial, an offering to the stars. It’s the lone rider anti-hero with a broken heart on a doomed journey.
The result has almost a hypnotic feel and a poetic beauty. This is indeed a cinematic sweeping track that engenders a sense of wonder and awe while maintaining a melancholy bittersweet note that is powerful and moving.
‘As I Rode Out Of The Cattle Field Fire’ is out on Monday, 13 February on all the usual download and streaming services and through the link above.
The Florin Arc are Alyce Proud (piano & vocals) and Heath Forsyth (guitar & backing vocals). They’ve recently completed recording their debut EP with producer and drummer Hugh Cook from Glenrock Studio in regional NSW.
