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A Magazine for Sheffield

Ophelia Ophelia

It’s the softer and darker of the tracks where these two vocalists truly shine.


Released: 26 January 2018
Ophelia

Transatlantic power couple Samuel Taylor and Rebecca Van Cleave have crafted their first EP as British-Americana sensations Ophelia. Though neither of the two creators are strangers to the world of entertainment, Ophelia is a relatively new concept, dreamt up on Highway 30 on Florida’s Emerald Coast, while the pair were touring their own solo work. With the help of David Glover from Tesla Studios in Sheffield, Greg Haver on drums and Eamon McLoughlin playing the fiddle, this collective of outstanding musicians began recording the self-titled EP.

‘Little Too Late’ encompasses the notion of music born on the road. The melody is catchy, the rhythm steady, and it feels like a song to play at high volume with the soft top of your classic car folded away. Adding to this atmosphere, Ophelia have created a stunning and cinematic video, predominantly filmed back in Van Cleave’s home town in Virginia. The band have expressed an intention to create a series of these videos, tying together two important parts of Rebecca’s life - music and cinema.

Although the more upbeat songs on the album serve their purpose, it’s the softer and darker of the tracks where the two vocalists truly shine. ‘If You Could Read My Mind’ and ‘Chelsea Hotel No.2’ highlight not only beautiful vocal tones and harmonies from both singers, but an obvious musical chemistry, something that I can only imagine to be even more infectious live.

Ophelia play The Greystones on 7 May.

by Tasha Franek (she/her)
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