London’s Deep Throat Choir contains multitudes. No, not because they are comprised of more than 20-strong; rather, this vocal collective embodies a plethora of aural personalities pointing inward, toward a shared spirit of multi-layered mysticism that feels almost too sacred to examine but worth seeking, nonetheless. Their new single (and the Nina Ryner-directed video for) “Alchemilla” furthers the group’s communal nature and growing allure, yet, continues to veer them from their cover-oriented origins.
With their first record mostly comprised of these covers, Gerstein wanted a shift, arguably one that could and should bring respect and the attention the choir deserves:
“Having been singing together for five-plus years, and having released an album of mostly covers, it felt like the logical next step to make our own music together. This album is the alchemy of all the specific voices and players that make up the choir, and a collaborative process of writing and sharing music and ideas.”
Explaining the story behind “Alchemilla”, frontperson Luisa Gerstein reveals that it is “about my mum. In Colombia you eat 12 grapes (uvas) at New Year’s to make 12 resolutions with. I was thinking about her resolve to move and travel to a faraway place, and a resolve and hunger that I feel she’s passed down to me. It’s about looking back at the generations before you, finding common threads that run through those histories and all the bigger histories that are part of that tapestry, like ships on the sea and emeralds in the dirt (early conquistadors traded glass for emeralds with indigenous people).”
Given the song’s intimacy and simultaneous relatability, there’s a lure of complexity here that’s easy to be excited for, especially when it comes to the prospects of what more original material could sound like from Deep Throat Choir. Luckily, we don’t have to wait too long as their sophomore effort titled In Order to Know You drops on Dec. 3 via Bella Union.
In the meantime, check out the equally hypnotic music video for “Alchemilla” below and make sure to catch Deep Throat Choir on Twitter and Instagram.
