Formed nearly eight years ago, Cleveland-based bluesy/soulful rockers Welshly Arms may not have exploded into the big time, but they’ve had a steady rise, increasing their base with regular and extensive touring across the U.S. and Europe — well, ok, maybe not THIS year.
Stuck at home throughout most of 2020 like most of us, they continued to write, record and release material — three singles: “Trouble,” “Stand” and “save me from the monster in my head,” which garnered more than 500 million combined streams.
Now they’re kicking off a new and hopefully better year with an upbeat single called “I Will Overcome,” which they call “a timely song that coincides with the country’s changing political times and rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.”
The soaring tune has a emotional, anthemic feel that harks back to classic pop/soul/gospel tunes of the ’60s and early ’70s in mood, but with a thicker contemporary sound: think tunes like Curtis Mayfield & the Impressions’ “People Get Ready,” the Rascals’ “People Got to Be Free” or Love Train” by Northeast Ohio’s own O’Jays.
“We wrote ‘I Will Overcome’ about looking forward and moving past all of the division, polarization, marginalization and unrest that we had to face over the past year,” lead singer Sam Getz says in a press release. “Though we are still in the midst of this challenging chapter, we know a change is coming and we are ready to turn the page and step into what is next. We believe in the human spirit and the collective ability to rise up together.”
The single is out now. Learn more about the band and keep up with their activities here and here.