Beth Wood and Ara Lee are Stand and Sway. Accomplished singer-songwriters in their own right, the two mesh their varied styles and backgrounds effortlessly in their new duo project. Expanding an indie folk base into gospel, soul, and blues leanings, their new album, Deep Blue, is sure to impress. On “One Day at a Time”, Lee and Wood dig into its singalong gospel structure to produce a blazing and soul-stirring acoustic performance.
“I have loved this since the very first time I heard it,” says Wood. “It was written by our friend Sarah Siskind. We were playing at a festival in North Carolina, and Sarah asked us if we would sing backups on this song. It was so much fun singing it with Sarah that we decided to record it on our album. I love the laid-back, driving beat, and the repetitive nature of it. I love what a simple concept it is and how the structure drives it home. And it has, at times, felt like a theme song of sorts as Ara and I have both walked through our dark and challenging times. Singing this song is pure healing for me.”
Stand and Sway’s Deep Blue is due out on 25 October.