Goodwin Releases Latest Single ‘Friend’

Massachusetts-based collective Goodwin returns with their evocative new single “Friend”, a hauntingly beautiful piece that merges literature and music into a single, shimmering breath. Known for their genre-defying sound, somewhere between Bon Iver, R.E.M., and The Talking Heads, Goodwin continues to push creative boundaries, blurring the lines between folk, art rock, and experimental soundscapes.

The track marks the second release from their forthcoming album, a bold new project in which the band reimagines the words of historic poets through contemporary musical lenses. For “Friend”, Goodwin draws on the verse of legendary Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore, crafting a sound world that is as reflective and enchanting as the poet’s timeless writing.

“Soothing yet steeped in mystery, ‘Friend’ unfolds like a whisper through the fog,” says frontman Michael E. Goodwin. “The choice of instruments reflects not only the mood and content of the poetry but also aims to describe the sonic landscape of the poet himself.”

Goodwin’s lineup, Emily Campagna (vocals), Jason Fletcher (guitar), Yahuba Garcia (percussion), Michael E. Goodwin (vocals/guitar), Matt Lydon (drums), Anne Preis (violin), Celia Sieckert (cello), and Ethan Stewart (bass and keyboard), weaves a tapestry of intricate layers and natural restraint. The result is music that feels both raw and sophisticated: minimal in ornamentation yet rich in emotional resonance.

As always, the band’s spirit of collaboration shines. On previous tracks, Goodwin has notably worked with Ben Lester (Bon Iver and S. Carey), Peter Maclean (Maceo Parker), and Chris Sartori and Kathleen Parks (Twisted Pine). On “Friend” the band welcomes Anthony Safferty on sitar to the song’s meditative pulse.

Lyrically and sonically, “Friend” captures the quiet ache of searching for connection amid uncertainty, a universal longing framed by Tagore’s words and Goodwin’s emotive delivery.

“We are all searching in the darkness for our friend,” Goodwin reflects. “Whether or not that search bears fruit is - in part - a product of the questions we are willing to ask.”

With “Friend,” Goodwin once again reminds listeners that music can be both introspective and transcendent, a meeting place for poetry, philosophy, and pure feeling.

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