Saltwater Sun explore the complexities of life, death and everything in between on new track "Blood"

"Blood" is a song where the Reading five piece deftly deal with family, love, death, grief and all the things in between. It sees lead singer Jen Stearnes face her grief, but within the soaring soundscapes and the euphoric guitars that seem to sweep up the pain in her lyrics, she finds hope and comfort.

"My father died 10 years ago this year. In the initial years after his death, the pain I felt for what I had loss was visceral and quite selfish; for the best part of a decade my life was tumultuous with several truly terrible things happening to me, leading me to near self destruction at times" explains Stearnes of the deeply personal nature of the song.

"In time, the pain of my loss has subsided a little and has given way to a more contemplative kind of pain, in which I reflect on everything he has lost and missed out on, milestone life moments like my graduation and my sister’s wedding, as well as all the things he wanted to do, but never did."

Despite the apparent sadness that underpins the song, this is ultimately an indie-pop anthem for hope and all the beautiful things that life has to offer. It's a song that demands to be sung at the top of your lungs, providing cathartic escapism and warm comfort in equal measure. Stearnes summarises this best when she says "it suggests that we might transcend death through lineage and that we may find solace in that."