We doubt you’ll be able to hit play on this one without grinning, dancing, or both. We’re delighted to premiere the rousing new song and video, “Surfing with the Sphinx” by The Trouble Notes, which was “recorded from their Lockdown Studio temporarily built in a former chicken coop in the forest in central Germany.” The quartet’s self-described funky folk’n’roll sound is firing on all cylinders in this stomp-inducing instrumental jam. According to the press release, The Trouble Notes “channeled the psychedelic folk style of some of the great festival bands of the 60s and 70s” in “Surfing with the Sphinx,” which was written upon the receipt of bad news: their Glastonbury Festival performance being cancelled this year. In this cheerful video, The Trouble Notes make the most of their situation and rock out on the water – turning a tiny dock into their own big festival stage with impressive technical chops and contagious smiles.
Surfing with the Sphinx
“‘Surfing with the Sphinx’ first started as a jam from our Lockdown Studio one night just after we received the news about different festival cancellations,” The Trouble Notes – made up of violinist Bennet Cerven, guitarist Florian Eisenschmidt, percussionist Oliver Maguire and bassist Stefan Bielik – told P&W. “All we wanted to do in that moment was pretend that we were playing on the main stage at some massive festival and connecting with the crowd. This song brought us a lot of joy at a dark moment and we’re hoping it will do the same for all who hear it!”
The Trouble Notes
Given that this is “the second in a series of genre-bending songs conceptualized during the height of the Covid-19 outbreak,” we look forward to the next tune from this unique band, who grew up “in different countries with different traditions,” as they note on their website. “In an effort to reduce cultural barriers, The Trouble Notes have made it their mission to create their own cultural universe, mixing influences from all over the world into their songs.” They also advocate for protecting our climate, decentralization, and connecting through culture on their Twitter page. You can join their many fans on Facebook and Instagram for more updates from The Trouble Notes.
Article: Olivia Isenhart
