New Music: Mumble Tide – The Rails

Bristol indie-folk duo Mumble Tide – vocalist Gina Leonard and musician Ryan Rogers – have described their sound as “Kinda country, kinda synthy, kinda moody,” but that’s an unnecessarily modest summary of their recent single The Rails.

The cascading flow of the melody, like a waltz to an indie rhythm, adds a sense of urgency to the dreamy tones of the arrangement. It really is as if the track dances around you, a complex whirl of positivity and regret.

You could easily convince someone that The Rails is a Laurel Canyon deep cut, largely down to Leonard’s country-rock meets classic folk style vocal performance, but also due to the timeless nature of the warmth and sensitivity brought to bear on the guitars and percussion.

Leonard reveals about the song, “The Rails is like an angry kiss, or throwing stones at a mirror. It’s about leaning into all the things that hold me back and, in the process, realising that they’re not as solid as they seem.”

“I tend to hold pretty unrealistic standards for myself and often feel that I let people down. Writing The Rails gave me a sense of freedom to be imperfect and recognise the potential that still exists if I can learn to give myself another chance.”

The Rails is out now via Bristol-based Breakfast Records. It can be downloaded on Bandcamp and is streaming on YouTube Music and Spotify. Mumble Tide are set to release more new music in 2025; follow them on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest news.