“Mother to Me” by MOONRIIVR

I’m a little late to the game when it comes to MOONRIIVR, a collaboration between the Wooden Sky’s Gavin Gardiner, “Champagne” James Robertson, Ben Whiteley, and Lyle Molzan. Back in November, the group dropped their debut long player, Vol. 1, a delightfully woozy indie record recorded on a vintage Tascam 388 tape recorder. The band showcases their blend of resonant slide guitars, whimsical string synths, and intricate percussion on “Mother to Me,” a song that Gardiner says “celebrates those relationships in life that are strong enough to withstand even the fiercest gales.” I’ve always thought of myself as someone who easily embraces the inevitability of change, but I think that as you grow older, what once felt exciting and full of possibility now carries with it a sense of risk and fear of the unknown. At this time of year, when change is the order of the day, I’m inspired by Gardiner’s willingness to let change happen: “I’ve been learning to accept that time changes everything, and sometimes you just have to be okay with where you are today and let tomorrow be tomorrow.”