Written By Jonathan Cohen – May 13, 2022
What is believed to be the last footage of Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan filmed before his death in February is spotlighted in a new video for the mournful song “Hireath,” which is drawn from Lanegan’s 2021 collaborative project with former Icarus Line frontman Joe Cardamone, Dark Mark Vs. Skeleton Joe.
“The rough definition of ‘hiraeth’ is something like nostalgia or strong longing for a life, place or time, one that may have never even existed,” Cardamone tells SPIN of the Welsh word, for which there is no direct English translation. “When I was sending Mark batches of instrumentals for what was to become our album, ‘Hiraeth’ in particular stopped him. We were listening in the studio and after it was done playing he said, ‘It’s beautiful, bro. Are you sure you don’t want to keep it for yourself?’ I told him I had definitely thought about it but in the end I wanted him to have it. After he laid down his vocal, I knew it was the right call. His lyrics and melody on this cut in particular really moved me and in a way became the centerpiece to the album. It’s a song that is just filled with unfiltered love. Nothing guarded. No damage involved. Truly one of the most moving pieces of music I have ever been a part of.” READ MORE