Look up, be strong
the world is beautiful from here
but you can’t forget where you came from
Look down, you belong
to the love that still lives here
it’s time to face the fear and take your song
Music often reminds us of how something beautiful can be born from tragedy. On March 15, 2019, two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, were targeted in terrorist attacks. 51 innocent people lost their lives from an attack born out of hatred that day. Two days later, Los Angeles based artist, Eden Iris, was on a plane headed to visit her family in her home country of New Zealand.
“On the plane ride over, I remember the mood being incredibly somber,” recalls Eden. “There was a women at the back of the plane who couldn’t stop crying. I wrote the lyrics as a poem when we were in our final descent to Auckland (‘floating through a bed of cloud, I sit with this grief’) just to process everything, and didn’t put them to music until later on.”
“Although inspired by tragedy, ‘The Love That Still Lives Here’ also expresses love and hope Eden felt:”
“I arrived in sunny Napier, Hastings on Friday morning and attended a memorial service on the water-front with my family the next day. The love and compassion expressed by everyone was so inspiring – it truly moved me, and I think the rest of the world. At the end of the day, love will win.”
It is never beautiful when lives are lost, but the beauty can be found in any love that is born from tragedy, and the support that is given to the survivors. All we can hope is that the love will live on stronger and longer than any form of hate that exists. I’m sitting down and writing this song review in strange times, in an uncertain world that is currently facing all sorts of tragedy and fear.
I’d by lying if I said I didn’t start getting teary during the first verse of the song. This song has a somber beauty that is timely and fitting. Eden truly captures the feeling of beauty from tragedy in her poetic lyrics and dreamy rhythms. This song takes the listener on an emotional journey filled with gentle guitar melodies, flowing vocals, and I love the edition of the dream-like harmonica riffs. The music video is full of beautiful imagery – from floating through a bed of clouds, to scenes of humanity – from the somber to the celebratory. Check out the video above.
Eden Iris is currently working her way towards a new album for June 2020 – releasing a new track every 6 weeks. All songs are recorded and produced in her Los Angeles based home studio. Follow her on Spotify to keep up with each newly released track as they come!
