South For Winter Named As Grand Prize Winner for Indie Acoustic Project’s “Album of the Year” With Concept Album, Of Sea and Sky
New Zealand-formed South for Winter, the internationally-touring folk-rock duo renowned for their enchanting melodies and introspective lyricism, has just won the Indie Acoustic Project (IAP)’s “Album of the Year” and “Best AAA Album” for 2024-2025 with their independently-released concept album, Of Sea and Sky. Recorded and produced in Nashville TN alongside two-time GRAMMY award-winner, Matt Leigh, Of Sea and Sky weaves a tapestry of diverse songs unified by celestial and maritime elements. The album has received an outpouring of support since its debut in 2024, raising over $21,000 (>141% of goal) in Kickstarter contributions to fund its independent release, garnering millions of streams, and continuing to collect accolades and critical acclaim. Instrumental “Tears of an Albatross” is currently listed as a Finalist in the International Songwriting Competition and was a Semi-Finalist in this year’s American Songwriter song contest, while single “Underneath the Blood Moon” has previously been named as a Semi-Finalist in both the Americana and Music Video categories of the International Songwriting Competition.
From the delicate instrumental that opens the album, "Tears of an Albatross (Part 1)", listeners are beckoned onto a diverse musical journey. One minute, they’re being pulled into the dreamy
world of “Sky Side (Side A)” with finger-picked guitar, angelic vocals, and emotive cello; and the next, they’re dragged into the depths of “Sea Side (Side B)” with swampy blues licks, roaring vocal melodies, and heavy rock rhythms. Each lyric and soundscape has been meticulously crafted to fit its corresponding album side, emphasizing the conceptual thread that weaves these fourteen songs into one seamless creation. South for Winter’s proficiency at melding genres into one unique sound has once again been proven, and each track on the album Of Sea and Sky invites listeners to immerse themselves in the band’s dreamy folk-rock soundscape.
Lead guitarist and songwriter Nick Stone reveals that the album took years of brainstorming to conceptualize. “We had a lot of time to think about the direction we wanted to go in while we were touring together in a van,” says Stone. “We knew we wanted to lean into a bluesier sound for ‘Sea Side’, since that fits the theme - and we also knew we wanted to pull inspiration from post-rock music for ‘Sky Side’, since that fits that theme. Trying to combine our influences into one cohesive sound has been our goal for years, and this album feels like we’ve finally figured it out.”
Lead singer and songwriter Dani Stone describes the album as both a creative and artistic challenge, to which the band rose to the occasion. "From the moment we had the idea for this concept album, every choice had to be really intentional," she says. "Like the amount of reverb on the vocals, the simplified drum parts that give the acoustic instruments room to breathe, the song stories and the lyrical choices… everything had to fit the album’s concept perfectly. We did lots of pre-production, re-writing, song critiques, and touring for two years before recording to make sure we could achieve the vision we wanted - and we’re really proud that we managed to do it.”
Of Sea and Sky is available on all major streaming platforms. Fans can also purchase physical copies of the album here.