The three time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Fiona Apple has shared a new song entitled “Where The Shadows Lie.” The track comes off of Amazon’s new Lord of the Rings sequel, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, currently nearing the end of its first season.

Last month, the show unveiled an instrumental version of the track, first heard on the first episode of the season. The instrumental alone, a powerful orchestral piece accompanied by a quiet choir, carried the strong and dark energy you would expect from a Lord of The Rings soundtrack. This latest version, featuring Apple’s vocals, will be heard on the upcoming season finale of the drama. The song was written by Bear McCreary and was produced by McCreary along with Fiona Apple and Andrew Slater.

Brooklyn Vegan quotes Bear McCreary’s statement on the new track, saying that “As written, the poem was composed by the Free Peoples of Middle Earth about the origins of the Rings of Power and their relationship under the power of the One Ring.”

He goes on: “The musical legacy of The Lord of the Rings brings to mind ethereal vocals carrying lyrical melodies over evocative harmonies, so it was my natural inclination to compose such a song for The Rings of Power… Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic ‘Ring Poem’ text, I wrote the song ‘Where the Shadows Lie’ as a theme for the titular Rings of Power, for the magic of mithril, for the sinister machinations of Sauron, and for his land of Mordor. To embody all these narrative elements into one voice is no small task, and so I am especially grateful to have collaborated with legendary singer Fiona Apple. Inarguably one of the definitive musical voices of her generation, Fiona brought new depths and narrative intention to the song’s unique combination of my haunting melody and Tolkien’s ominous text. I have been inspired by her musicality for two decades, and I could not imagine an artist better suited to bring to life the mystery, majesty, and power of this song. I am thrilled audiences can finally hear ‘Where the Shadows Lie,’a song we strategically withheld from the Season One album until now, so that it’s significance would not be spoiled in the early episode.”

Fiona Apple’s legendary vocals add a lot to the beautiful and eerie orchestration, providing a voice that is both stunningly melodic and highly commanding. Listen to Apple’s version of “Where The Shadows Lie,” and the original instrumental below.

Fiona Apple has recently offered a cover of Charlie Puth’s “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.” In 2020, the indie musician released her first project since 2012, Fetch The Bolt Cutters.

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat