Indie artists Midwife and Matt Jencik have joined forces on their upcoming collaborative album, Never Die. Never Die was written by Jencik while Madeline Johnston of Midwife engineered the album and added her vocals. Although the two never recorded in person, Jencik has described the collaboration as the “type of collaboration you dream about.” Johnston acts as an elegant ghostly presence floating through Jencik’s lyrics and complementing Jencik’s more grounded voice. Never Die is about the inevitability of death and humanity’s persistence to keep loving and singing despite it. The album is a confrontation with death and an approach towards accepting it, contrary to what the title suggests.
Although Never Die will not release until July 11, fans of the two can still get a sneak peek at what the album has to offer. The two have recently released a single from the album titled “Rickety Ride” along with a matching music video. While the lyrics are sparse, the sounds of the track express a clear sense of loneliness. Jencik shared his inspiration for the eerie song by recalling an old memory, “Leaving work one night I bumped into a barista from the coffee shop across the street. She had also just finished working and was sitting alone at a table on the sidewalk drinking a bottle of wine. We started talking and she invited me over to her place to hang out. The next thing we knew we were at a neighborhood carnival then proceeded to haunt the streets of Pittsburgh for hours like proper nighthawks.” He continued, “It seemed like maybe the beginning of something but then it wasn’t. Over the following years I realized it was one of the best, most pure nights of my life. Total freedom without needing to tell anyone where I was or what I was doing. No mobile phone to track my every move. Freedom like that is so rare now unless you just go off the grid.” The music video is reminiscent of Jencik’s experience with the barista as it places the viewer at the scene of a quiet carnival. Despite the bright blinking lights and various attention-grabbing attractions, the carnival is near empty, mirroring the loneliness demonstrated in the song.
In addition to the reflective theme of the album, Never Die also demonstrates the close friendship between Jencik and Johnston. The two originally met in 2015 with their first collaboration and worked together again in 2018. Their work together sprouted a friendship of understanding and led to their eventual collaboration on Never Die. Jencik felt obligated to try something new that would force him to focus more on vocal-heavy songs and branch out of his comfort zone. Although he initially worked with a different collaborator, the partnership ended up not working out which led Jencik to find a voice that aligned with his vision more closely. This mission led him to reconnect with his longtime friend, Madeline Johnson and finish the ten-track album with her. Never Die can be pre-ordered here.
Leave a Comment