New Music: The North Country – Once The War Has Ended

Based in Washington, DC, The North Country normally ply their trade in upbeat and leftfield sounds – here, they do something different.

On Once The War Has Ended, they swap their trademark mix of indie rock and art pop for a straightforward ballad that wouldn’t go amiss on an 80s Brat Pack movie soundtrack. Fans of the collective’s 2024 The Future’s All We Need album will still find a lot to love in the romantic textures of the arrangement and the vocals of Margot MacDonald, however.

Her presence more than makes up for the absence of the band’s songwriter and singer, Andrew Grossman, from the song. In fact, it serves to let the listener appreciate even more the craft behind their songs and the degree of musicianship that goes into The North Country’s complex and layered sound.

Once The War Has Ended and The Future’s All We Need can be heard on Bandcamp and Spotify. The band plays in Washington and Philadelphia to tie in with the single – head to their Instagram for venue and ticket news.