Dragonfly Sky – Willow Tree
Dragonfly Sky – Willow Tree
ARTIST NAME: Dragonfly Sky
SONG TITLE: Willow Tree
RELEASE DATE: Friday 9th July 2021
GENRE: Folk/Acoustic
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Dragonfly Sky are an engaging acoustic duo from London, UK. With Amy Whiter on vocals, Chris Lee-Delisle on guitar and vocals they write and perform well-crafted, atmospheric original songs. With mellifluous harmonies, you’ll be caught up in the story and drifting through a heady mix of light and dark shades.
With an eclectic mix of songs, their performances create atmospheres of elation and intensity and you are guaranteed to be gripped from beginning to end.
LYRICS:
As the sun turns to dust
There’s a starry moonlit sky
Shining in the beauty
Of the soul in your eyes
Meet me by the willow tree
Meet me by the willow tree
Shimmering bright
Love is like a river
Love is like a river
And it flows into the night
Counting stars beside you
As we drift into a dream
Wish upon a star above
As you’re lying next to me ah ah ah
When you’re dancing in the dark
By the light of the moon
Feeling like the stars are falling down on you
Meet me by the willow tree
Meet me by the willow tree
Shimmering bright
Love is like a river
Love is like a river
And it flows into the night
Counting stars beside you
As we drift into a dream
Wish upon a star above
Wish upon a star above
As you’re lying next to me
Meet me by the willow tree
Meet me by the willow tree
Shimmering bright
Love is like a river
Love is like a river
And it flows into the night
Counting stars beside you
As we drift into a dream
Wish upon a star above
Wish upon a star above
As you’re lying next to me ah ah ah
Meet me by the willow tree
Meet me by the willow tree
Meet me by the willow tree
Meet me by the willow tree
Meet me by the willow tree
Meet me by the willow tree
Meet me by the willow tree
State the name of your producer and elaborate on the song.
Production by Rob Harvey of Weyside Productions and mastered at Roseacre Productions.
Discuss the lyrics of the song.
‘Willow Tree’ is a song that explores a near-death experience, after I (Amy) contracted meningitis and was seriously ill and left fighting for life in hospital.
The experience happened in 2011 and changed my outlook forever. Although obviously a very frightening experience, it left me with a renewed and profound sense of love for family and friends, and a greater appreciation for life.
The song is really an exploration of being in this strange place somewhere between life and death, and about coming to terms with the experience. The ‘Willow Tree’ is for me a symbol of the bridge between life and death. Would I meet my loved ones in this life or the next?
Elaborate on your music career.
Before lockdown, we were playing at many venues and festivals in and around London. Our debut EP was released in 2018 to critical acclaim and we launched it to a full house at the Riverhouse Barn in Walton-on-Thames.
We have been invited to play at some fantastic festivals including Lowde Fest, Weyfest, Walton Folk Festival, Vegan Fest at Alexandra Palace, Vann Fest, and One Summer’s Day. We have played at some amazing venues including Upstairs at Ronnie Scotts, The Spice of Life, Soho, The Bedford in Balham and we are a regular at the GT Live Sessions, in Guildford, Surrey. Online, our music has been featured by FATEA magazine’s Showcase Session of Winter 2020.
Since lockdown, we started streaming to Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook and have been building our online presence and fan base steadily. We have grown from zero to 1,300 followers since August 2020 on our Twitch channel alone.
In the future, when lockdown eases, we hope to start real-world gigs again in combination with live streaming. We are really enjoying our online community and is something we wouldn’t have tried if it weren’t for lockdown.
Brief us on how you are reaching fans with your music.
Live streaming to various platforms is how we are primarily reaching our fans now. Along with building our social media online platforms… We have also been fortunate enough to be included in various Spotify playlists and radio play.
Discuss your motive behind making music.
It’s just something we have to do! Songwriting is one of the hardest yet most rewarding of endeavors. When you get it right it’s a real rush, and when it helps and connects to others, it’s the best feeling. The motive behind ‘Willow Tree’ in particular was also part therapy, it is about coming to terms with a near-death experience, and the positive things that can result from this scary experience, and a renewed sense of love for life and your friends and loved ones.
Discuss your songwriting.
As a duo, Amy will often come up with some lyrics and melodies; Chris will then come up with the guitar parts and chords structure. This will often take the song somewhere a bit different and in a new direction, or new bits will be added. Otherwise, songs are created first chords, then mumbly melody! Then the lyrics come about last. We like to create atmospheric, touching songs that tell a story.
Tell us your opinion on using a rhymes dictionary or writing software to develop lyrics.
We don’t use rhyming dictionaries often, if at all, but I think it is a useful tool. I’m not aware of any writing software so I can’t comment. But anything that helps creativity is fine by us!
Discuss the music industry.
Wow, big subject! We can only give our take from an outside independent artist’s point of view. Essentially, I don’t really think it’s any different from how it’s always been. The big labels have clawed back all the power over digital platforms that once seemed such a promising avenue for independent artists. Though saying this, there are still exciting opportunities to build and make a living for an independent: Patreon, Bandcamp, YouTube, and Twitch are platforms that spring to mind.
Elaborate on how you prepare yourself for a recording session.
Practise, practise, practise! It saves you money if you’re paying for a studio. Otherwise, we don’t really prepare if we are recording at home. I guess we will prepare in a way by trying out songs on our fans to see which ones they prefer.
Brief us on your preference in terms of tempo as in up-tempo, mid-tempo, or slow tempo.
Our preferences are ballads; slower songs, though we have some faster tunes too.
Share your press release and reviews with us.
With heartfelt vocals, soaring strings, and a driving rhythm, ‘Willow Tree’ pulls you in and entrances you. Written by duo Dragonfly Sky – composed of Amy Whiter (lead vocals) and Chris Lee-Delisle (Guitar and vocals), the track also features the talents of violinist Phil Beer (Show of Hands), Cellist David Floer, and pianist Rob Harvey.
Praise for Willow Tree
“The delicate yet dramatic sound evokes a superbly atmospheric style, and the vocals are very impressive”
– Various Small Flames
“Incredible vocal performance here and love the strings arrangement”
– Damien McFly – Playlister
“Willow Tree is a beautiful and emotional song, interpreted with great expressiveness and sweetness. The instrumentation, with an organic sound, creates a very warm and trapping musical atmosphere.”
– Caoba Records
“[Willow Tree] is a more than enjoyable listen bolstered by some crisply delivered lead vocals that sit with ease amidst the rolling guitars, tender orchestral string atmospherics, silky smooth backing vocal harmonies, imaginative/visual and poetic lyricism, flowing intimate arrangement, and a clean mix/master! Excellent artistry on full display. Props are due!”
– Music On The Moon
“A lovely tender folk offering with a fragile emotive ballad quality”
We All Want Someone To Shout For
“A pleasant and atmospheric soundscape accompanied by a heartfelt vocal with such a stunning tone. Great production quality!” – Andreas Grannes
“This is a gorgeous song. I love it! Beautifully made and outstanding harmonies.”
– Emotional Feedback
“The mesmerizing flow of the track’s lovely vocals coupled with the heartfelt touch of the strings and guitar of the instrumental makes for a really magical soundscape”
– Underrated
The Video
“We wanted the video to be mystical, a little trippy, and to evoke a dream-like out-of-body experience to reflect the themes of the song.” Says Chris Lee-Delisle. “And I think we have achieved something quite special. It shows a world in which time is reversed, slowed down and sped up, or reflected and inverted. We wanted it to show Amy’s journey to the other-worldly place that bridges life and death.”
Send a message across to your fans and supporters.
We love you all, and we are so grateful for all your support and love.
Tell us what makes this song unique from others.
It doesn’t really fit a particular genre in any snug way. It’s kinda folky, kinda hypnotic, and also the production, with its lush string arrangement, wouldn’t be out of place as a film soundtrack. The female/male vocals are a kind of call and response, which you don’t hear often either.
Tell us the themes of most of your compositions.
Our songs’ themes are many and varied. We have written about the true story of a man who fell in love with an assassin, airplane crashes, ghost ships, the Wild West. Other songs are more streams of consciousness and explore love, isolation, and deeper emotions.