REB FOUNTAIN RELEASES NEW SINGLE 'ONE WAY TRIP'
Reb Fountain shares her new single, One Way Trip; a heartfelt americana standard with a stripped back analog modesty that belies the intricacy of its lyrics.
One Way Trip reads like a working class tale written within the poetic fiction of a well-honed folk song. It's lyrics speak to a single parent wrestling with the every day at the coal face and resolving to do what's right for themselves and their kids even when its tough.
Put your head on my shoulder we've got a one way trip tonight
You'll look back when you're older and laugh about this crazy ride
I have been with the worst of them, I have seen the other side
And nothing's gonna make me turn around this time
Reb writes of resilience and real life choices amidst the white noise of day to day hardships. There is an unadorned confessional quality here; Reb sings from amongst this tangled place with a painter's vision; she lives in this world, she is matter of fact, resigned, perhaps even 'faking it till she makes it' when she says, "Nothing's gonna make me turn around this time".
When your heart slows, it's love with nowhere to go
It drowns you in the turning tide
So take my hand love and let's stop killing time
In One Way Trip, time is beautifully rendered to now and here Reb accurately portrays the universal experience of love and yearning. This tale is understated yet devastatingly brazen and it's Reb's commitment to her art and whanau - as portrayed in song and in her life - that is revelatory, compelling, and truly authentic.
Sometimes you lose and get lucky in the blink of an eye
Lucky keeps you going when the losin's got you high and dry
Gotta keep your eyes on the winning prize
Keep your broken heart growing on the inside
Just because a choice is do or die don't mean you can't decide
Reb says, "I wrote ‘One Way Trip’ when my kids were young, as a single parent in the thick of it, trying to be the best mum I could whilst playing gigs that paid less than the babysitter cost. Releasing this song now, has been a long time coming - I have tried over the years to record it but it never really felt right. This version feels really special and in keeping with the tone of the song; raw, unabashed, and real."
Recorded in one take to analog tape at Roundhead Studios, One Way Trip was produced by long time collaborator Dave Khan. Round the mic, in one room, the band feel present, tight knit, held by the age and texture of the tape, and it's this fly on the wall delivery that underpins the narrative of the song as a whole.
The music video for One Way Trip is made up of a collage of camcorder home videos edited by Reb's daughter, Lola Fountain-Best. There's a real full circle moment here; we see Reb navigating motherhood and music in a candid and committed way. Here we catch of glimpse of her life and the intentional entanglement with her art; where the footage is drawn from home movies, old concerts and even an earlier music video that featured her children. It is this union of art and connection that renders Reb Fountain's voice as a songwriter elemental in reflecting who we are for real. There is no performativity here, just a glimpse of lived experience that quietly complements a song telling a story of people who are often overlooked, or whom may overlook themselves.
Lola says, "This video is a tribute to my mother, Reb Fountain; my attempt to encapsulate a woman who managed to raise children while still following her dreams, no matter how difficult it was. The footage used in this video is collected from home movies, album recordings and friends' projects. My childhood memories were full of my mother playing music, and it felt important to me to look back and revisit those memories with her and my family."