Track-by-Track: Maria Wilman Gallops Far into Her New Album ‘Dark Horse’

You’re never too old to pursue a new dream; just ask Maria Wilman. The singer-songwriter just released her debut album, Dark Horse, a project she began to pursue right around her 50th birthday. She has always been a person ready and willing to do the unexpected. She has lived a life relying on her instincts and trust in herself to make the right decision. It has led her to this point with Dark Horse, a candid, twelve-track collection of honesty and authenticity.

Dark Horse is the product of a larger project fleshed out between 2019 and 2022. The record dives deep into what it means for a side of us to appear as if from nowhere. We accumulate losses through life, which we never stop moving through. In a sense, those losses become a piece of ourselves. This became a focal point of Wilman’s songwriting, and she really fed off of it. So much so that she accumulated three albums worth of songs. There’s an urgency within her music that looks at what’s to come, and within that, what is going to last? Wilman thrives through cross-examining the unknown, deriving from it both its darkness and its joy.

Joining us today is Wilman herself, who guides us through a special track-by-track rundown of Dark Horse. She describes to us the individual motivations behind these songs and what really inspired her to create such an impressive offering.

1. “Full Circle”

“Time is a mystery. It feels like both the physical and spiritual side of our existence blend together as in a ‘Full Circle.’ So is time circular? Sometimes we write songs that echo back a message we didn’t quite get at the beginning, it repeats itself like a mantra. Love was there from the beginning, spinning in an ever eternal sequence, interrelating everything. As you keep trusting your heart…”

2. “Through Your Eyes”

“A yearning for the end of self-condemnation. A longing for redemption and the need to be seen and be understood. Sometimes we see others with greater compassion that the one we grant ourselves.”

3. “Dark Horse”

“What does it mean when a side of us appear as if from nowhere? What are we leaving behind there? Was it the bereavement, the life already lived? What are the possibilities? The answer is never static; we never stop moving through our losses, even where the losses are pieces of ourselves.”

4. “Mastermind”

“What’s the ultimate plan? Is it all by design? Universal questions we ask as we all play our part. In the end all we know is our memories as well as our desires are ephemeral, as so are we.”

5. “Man With a Dream”

“This song was tailor made for someone I considered had all the qualities of a ‘man with a dream,” and more. It’s a calling for all who have the self-belief and passion to pursue their dreams. Furthermore, are we not all really a man with a dream?”

6. “Who Are You”

“An autobiographical exercise. I learn something new about myself as I go deeper into its lyrics. The key for unveiling ourselves is inside of us.”

Maria Wilman ‘Dark Horse’ album artwork

7. “The Order of Things”

“What’s the established order of things in life.? Are we conditioned, hooked to a point were the only way forward is to unhook? There are many ways, as many as stories can be told. The untold ones are the gaps in between, whatever is missing from the total picture. ”

8. “Roll Your Soul”

“When our darkest intentions have to co-exist with who we are and it is time to face them, it’s also time to ‘Roll Your Soul.’ There’s endless possibilities as long as you are prepared to pay the price. The choice is out there…”

9. “Everyman For Himself”

“When we are swimming against the current, when we can feel the weight of the world upon our shoulders, when nothing we do can alleviate or change the destiny that’s already been set for us, it’s ‘Everyman for Himself.’ However, what if there was a silver lining? What if our pass sentence ended up just being our salvation?”

10. “Water Screen”

“The damage we cause with what we say and do to ourselves and others becomes overwhelmingly exposed through social media. It’s all projected as if onto a ‘water screen’ which will fade and disappear as easily as when the water falls or evaporates. Can we go back on it? Can we reboot our lives? ”

11. “Lovegrass”

“The story of the other Maria Wilman. A pioneer, a woman ahead of her time who defied conventionality and proofed that truth, passion and scientific knowledge was her way, the way she had to try. An inspiration and a tribute; for a life is never lost, through love we can always reconnect.”

12. “January Gone”

“When bereavement gets well stuck in and it’s the only thing left to hang on to… shall we resist? Is it really all gone? Pain helps us readjust to what will come next, but at same time we desperately cling to hope. What’s gone will never come back again, what’s left is a chance to construe a new way forward.”