Fish and Scale – Stay! (2023)
It’s fascinating how one pivotal life event can alter a person’s perception of reality entirely. How one small experience can change their world, their thoughts and, well, their life. For German singer-songwriter Roland Wälzlein, this moment was surviving a serious heart operation at age 6. Performing under the moniker Fish and Scale, Walzlein shares his existential wisdom using his soulful melodies.
Along with critical acclaim from the music industry with coverage on Sinusoidal Music, Nord News, Indie Dock Music Blog, Before We Go Blog, Izzy Magazine and various others, Wälzlein is turning the heads of iconic individuals in the film and journalism world. Actor Chas Burns notes that he believes music is the voice of nature and “…Fish and Scale is at the very epicentre of that voice”. He is the “favourite independent folk artist” of journalist and Emmy-award winner Michele Gillen; as well as a person who touches people with his music, according to film director Lana Read. The latest addition to his discography is the single ‘Stay!’.
Following his well-received album You Can Call Me Love, released in 2021, ‘Stay!’ is Fish and Scale’s first release in two years. Staying true to his independent folk style which weaves together old-school folk and contemporary indie-folk tones, ‘Stay!’ is an elegant and charming melody. What I love about Fish and Scale is how his songs drip raw vulnerability with a wistful naivety; however, the sophisticated arrangement showcases maturity as an artist. In the latest single Fish and Scale taps into your soul, grabs your heart, squeezes it and leaves you floating on a sonic cloud gasping for more.
Fish and Scale describes his music as “folk music with a mystical touch” aiming to connect with audiences on a deeper, more intimate level – and this is just what he does in ‘Stay!’. ‘Stay!’ uses acoustic arrangements to enhance the stripped-back, barebones rawness. Yet, while this rawness is evident, the soulful vocals bring warm comfort to listeners.
While the melody holds its own as a haunting tune, it is the poetic lyricism that carries true depth. Fish and Scale notes that ‘Stay!’ is a dialogue with an “all-knowing inner entity” and we are all connected to this “infinitely wise version of ourselves…it shows us the doorway to a magical place where the deep experience of happiness and love is not attached to any conditions. The path to this place does not lead into the distance but to the here and now…”
Sincere, sentimental and inspiring, Fish and Scale has you questioning life and finding fulfilment in his latest song ‘Stay!’
For more from Fish and Scale, check out his official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
