Swaddling rich tones underneath a blanket of soulful instrumentation, Ivory Stands radiates with an ethereal, lush quality. Starting off relaxed and then building to a bright, energetic chorus, everything about this track is utterly infectious.
Describing the track, the duo said, “The track itself is a complex blend of genres and inspiration that we composed over the period of several months. The lyrics and melodies strike the balance between somber and hopeful, regret and resilience. We sought to create a musical piece that captured several perspectives while maintaining unity of thought and emotion. In order to build on this framework we are releasing a music video that tells the story of the human struggle with power and responsibility. Our main character embodies every individual who has ever found themselves lost in what they believed were good intentions. She, like all of us, has direct influence in the lives of others and her fall was their decline. As always, our song ends with a strain of hope and encouragement as she turns away from her past and moves forward with renewed understanding and purpose. The song and video are multi-layered, leaving much room for interpretation; this was our aim, because a good song is never exhausted of its meaning and application.”
Consistently able and willing to bend the rules of creativity, Grafted Culture was formed by Dutch/American sisters, Gabriëlle and Michaëlle. Their folk style music is created on poetical lyrics that stir the emotions while their harmonies give a voice to the secrets of the heart that cannot be silenced. What adds even more to their music is their amazingly humble and gentle natures that find joy in sharing their passion for life with others.
About their songwriting process, the band said, “Our songs generally begin with an idea in the form of words or poetry which Michaelle polishes and arranges to fit an accompanying guitar piece. We then spend much time discussing and rearranging the lyrics and putting together a composition that brings across the emotion the song was intended to capture and communicate.”
The two sisters grew up traveling and experiencing different countries and cultures and, in their journeys, they discovered a passion for music. Every piece of the globe they have rested on has captured a portion of their hearts while shaping the way they hear and feel music. Grafted Culture’s unique sound is influenced by the constant struggle with love and loss as they fall in love with the culture and people of a region and are forced to say goodbye as they are called to move on. The sisters were raised to be aware of the needs of others and to be a positive addition to their surroundings. They have camped in the remote jungle villages of Papua New Guinea, been on the streets of Sydney, Australia at 5AM feeding the homeless, walked through hospitals Christmas Caroling for the sick and volunteered at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital.
Today, Gabriëlle and Michaëlle have opened a local community arts center where they personally give lessons in the arts to their students while also working with those struggling with dementia. The community arts center is completely funded by Grafted Culture’s music and all of the services that they offer are free of charge.
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