Niv – God Knows (2025)
One of the most exciting aspects of my job is discovering artists. It doesn’t matter if they’re established or emerging, the thrill of listening to something new is always fun. True, some may not sit well, but some do, so you find yourself hitting the repeat button for ages. For me, singer-songwriter Niv is one of the latter. Hailing from Dublin, Kildare to be precise, Niv’s music is joyous, hopeful, and smile-inducing, but still contains the heart-breaking profoundness of a good folk tune.
Following her 2021 single, ‘Home’, Niv stamps into 2025 with the new song ‘God Knows’. Recorded and produced by Matt Winston, ‘God Knows’ can be described as old-school folk bound by indie-rock placed in a traditional Irish wrapper. With vocals reminiscent of The Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan, Niv effortlessly sends shivers down your spine and tingles across your skin – and that’s just her voice. The track brims with delicate vulnerability in the soft, soothing vocals; however, just as she leans toward heart-breaking fragility, a simultaneous strength shines with empowering vibrance.
Vocally, Niv encases you in something special, but what about the melody? Simplistic and barebones, a piano drives the track, accompanied by percussion and some haunting strings. Interestingly, while the song tugs at your heartstrings – and a bit at your tear ducts – the tone oscillates between calming tenderness and poignant starkness.
The melody may be enticing, but Niv shows there is more to her work than a pretty tune. A metaphorical piece, the Irish songstress dissects imaginings of the past and celebrates being in the present. Niv explains:
“I wrote it at a time where I was feeling quite useless and was constantly imagining how my life could be better in a few years rather than living in the present. I think from that, this song kind of just fell out of me.”
Find out more about Niv on her Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.
Listen to more folk music on The Other Side Reviews Folk playlist:
