Massachusetts-based Mark Erelli wrote "The River Always Wins" with Berklee College of Music professor and singer-songwriter Susan Cattaneo. This prophetic and powerful rock testimony began as an exploration of the tension between a small town and a river, and the cycles of disaster and rebirth that seem both momentous and inevitable.

With a thematic twist that puts the river at the center of the tale, the excellent central riff of this Country-Rock gem was born, as "The River Always Wins" tells a story of human resiliency in the face of nature's reckless predominance. The overdriven guitar matches the electric bass and B3 tracks with bubbling, melodic intensity, while the chorus presents a sense of unstoppable determinism that pits our mortal instinct for survival against the raging, entropic waters of destiny.

Erelli penned well over 30 new songs for his latest record "Blindsided," and chose to showcase the questions we encounter when we begin to examine what once were unassailable personal convictions. What do we see in the rear-view mirror once we remove the fog of youth, ambition, and self-righteousness? After a trek to Music City, Erelli made contact with best friend, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Zachariah Hickman, curious to see what effect a change in geography, personnel, and context would produce for his new project. With the help of drummer Jamie Dick (Rhiannon Giddens, Our Native Daughters), guitarist Sadler Vaden (Jason Isbell, Josh Ritter), Kai Welch (Molly Tuttle, Kacey Musgraves) on keys, producer Hickman on bass, and Dan Knobler (Lake Street Dive, Caroline Spence) recording and mixing, the result couldn’t have been more unanticipated. Put simply, it rocks.

I've seen boys with fishing poles and born-again souls
Lovers with their hearts ablaze
I’ve always been there, for the lonely in despair
I took a few in my dark embrace

This song is featured on our Roots Collection playlist.