New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Portland artist & singer-songwriter Forest Veil has released her brand new single You're Supposed To Know. It will be available on all streaming platforms via
Spirit House Records. The single will be on her upcoming EP Caldera, out August 30.
The EP Caldera was written during an Artist-in-Residency at Caldera Arts, an arts and environmental immersion program for under-resourced youth and practicing artists in the mountains of Sisters, Oregon. You're Supposed to Know was built up from a spontaneous field recording of fellow residency musician, Wavy Joseph. In the early morning, Wavy was secretly captured playing a grand piano in the main hall. In the background, one can also hear the call and response of a walkie talkie and the request of a passing child, which become their own instruments, in this space/place composition.
With the support of producer Leif Burton, this foundscape R&B ballad was shaped. Lyrics were inspired by writing from
Robin Wall Kimmerer (Braiding Sweetgrass) about the concept of grieving for our planet as an act of love and presence. Kimmerer writes, "Until we can grieve for our planet we cannot love it- grieving is a sign of spiritual health... even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy."
Forest Veil's soulful crooning and rich harmonies vamp on these ideas of "what you're supposed to know" as universal lessons; grief as honoring, joy as reciprocity for living, and loving what is actively dying, and changing, with open hearts and gratitude.
"Until we grieve, we cannot love. Abundance abound. Infinite pulse.
Until we weep, we cannot trust. Even a wounded mother feeds us."
Forest Veil is the solo work of Portland, OR producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter
Monica Metzler. Following the echoes of her elusive muse, Forest Veil creates hypnotic psych-folk that maps the emotional terrain of humanity and its place in the cosmos. Melding a voice that sounds like smokey quartz with psychedelic guitar riffs and enigmatic lyricism, Forest Veil's sound evokes a haunting nostalgia for other worlds. Though she primarily writes on her own, Forest Veil records and performs with others. An avid guitarist for over 25 years, Forest Veil's music showcases virtuosic guitar shredding and dynamic musicality. Forest Veil's music has been placed in ads, movies, and TV shows.
Metzler previously released music under Moniker. Her first work as Forest Veil came in the form of her 2016 release, Zoolights. This album was released on
Spirit House Records, which she co-founded with musician Johnanna Warren, in the same year. She currently plays drums for the Portland all-femme band, Pool Boys.
In addition to her musical pursuits, Metzler is a Program
Director at a youth music non-profit and an experiential arts family therapist. Metzler cites Adrienne Lenker (Big Thief), Sufjan Stevens, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, and Nick
Drake as songwriting influences.
