Image credit: @francescoquadrelli
Palmaria are an Alt Pop duo from a small town in Italy, currently residing in London. Members Giulia and Francesco have been making a name for their distinctive sound, poetically transporting listeners on a journey of dreamy landscapes and uplifting experiences. Think The xx meets Sylvan Esso, meets Little Dragon on a field trip to the Italian coast.
Their latest single “Ocean” is off of their upcoming EP, Crystallize. Co-written and produced with B-CROMA (Yendry, Fia Moon), the single stays true to their sound of delicate, hypnotizing vocals with a mix of organic sounds and utopian guitars. Taking sonic inspiration from the drums on James Blakes’ “You’re Too Precious”, the duo re-interpreted the sound through Francesco’s classical guitar.
The song is inspired by the legend of Colapesce, the magical story of a man that sacrifices his life on earth, turning into a fish to save his island, but also highlights the problem of the pollution of the ocean. “Ocean” is a call for help. The duo confides, “We wanted to give voice to our frustration; it’s been hurtful to see what is happening, especially growing up in a town almost surrounded by the sea. The ocean has always been such an important element in our lives, inspiring and healing us everytime we were in need, so it’s now our turn, we have to protect it.”
“Ocean” takes you to a surreal, idyllic, safe place, where you can feel free and you can be yourself, inspiring creativity and kindness. In this particular case, kindness towards nature, in a time where it’s pivotal that we stop ignoring the dangers we are already facing and start taking action. The single release sees the duo partnering with OGYRE – an environmental organization that protects oceans and collects plastic waste from the shores, turning it into products.
Palmaria have garnered acclaim from publications such as Complex, The Line of Best Fit and CLASH and have been playlisted by numerous official Spotify and Apple playlists including New Music Friday, Fresh Finds and many more, amassing over 3 million streams across DSPs to date.
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