Newcastle‑based artist Sherwood returns with a self‑produced single Maps, which pays tribute to the people who pull you out of the dark and back into yourself, capturing that moment of being steadied by someone else’s presence.
The track’s ethereal harmonies, roomy reverb and tenderly picked acoustic guitar give it a spacious, understated feel, paired with a lo‑fi production that adds a raw, immediate edge.
Here, the artist talks a little about the inspirations behind the track…
My latest single Maps is the new chapter in my music career. My debut EP, not for the faint hearted, was all about heartbreak in all stages and Maps is the complete opposite!
In Not for the faint hearted, there’s a track called The Love Comes Back (To You) which is about the calm after the storm which comes to terms with the end of a relationship and forever thinking “do you still think of me?” and “was I ever important to you?” This calmness and my independence has grown since writing that song, self producing my EP and playing gigs in the North East.
Maps is this almost sequel to that song as we steer away from thinking about that “one that got away” and someone that never made you feel number one to this new single which takes you into a healed state and meeting someone new. I suppose, like all my work, it’s all based on my experiences and feelings- I met someone new.
During the talking stage between me and my current partner, I started to have feelings for him and that I would love to write something for him as a gift from my heart. He didn’t know this at the time but I would practice every night trying to put words together for how much I adore him. Before you think I’m going soppy, I’m not I promise!!
Eventually he came to one of my performances and I slid in ‘Maps’ into my setlist which I have (in the past) left on the back burner. Let’s just say that the song was a love confession and that I may or may not have won his heart!
My latest single had an inspiration from Fleetwood Mac but if Fleetwood Mac had a healthy relationship- the instrumental is a simple homage to Landslide and the lyrics are gentle and whole heartfelt of that of ‘Songbird’ sang by the late Christine McVie.
