Erik Barth Premieres His Unconventional Single “Riverbend”

While he is best known for his folk-influenced, traditional songwriting, Erik Barth isn’t one-dimensional. The singer-songwriter is turning the guitars up today on the premiere of his new single “Riverbend.” This is the third single from his latest record, Looncry.

With the album due out on October 2nd, Barth is starting to ramp up promotion. While most of Looncry is an acoustic record, “Riverbend” is one of the more rock n’ roll moments. It has hints of grunge and ’90s alternative throughout. It really breaks up the album well. While much of Looncry is pensive and introspective, Barth uses “Riverbend” to let loose a little bit and have some fun.

Commenting on the inspiration behind the song, Barth states:

“I’m running fast along the Charles River in Boston, wind in my hair, a feeling of elation and excitement coursing through every fibre of my being – I feel alive. The twisting path alongside the Charles and some of my other favourite rivers provides the ideal running adventure. ‘Riverbend’ captures this feeling and puts it in a bottle on demand for listeners.”

Touching on its place within his body of work as a musician, Barth adds:

“‘Riverbend’ is intentionally a bit over the top – an experiment outside of my comfort zone. Flourishes like the tape recorder click and pushing myself vocally to sing out of my emotional comfort zone are a couple of examples of that manifesting. I learned a lot from this song about when and how to communicate intensity and emotion via experimentation with production along with my co-producer Feri Bong. It’s a snapshot of my development as an artist stepping outside of what I’m comfortable with to grow.”

Emerging out of the Boston music scene, Barth has earned a reputation as one of the region’s premier singer-songwriters. He is heavily influenced by the folk traditions of New England-area music. His songs often explore serious topics like faith, resilience, doubt, grief, and the quiet joy that can emerge from difficult times. Shaped by his surroundings, Barth weaves vivid natural imagery into his storyteller-like songs. His songwriting focuses on authenticity, even when conversations are hard or uncomfortable.

Looncry is Barth’s debut full-length album. Its name draws on the haunting call of loons echoing across northern lakes. Those calls inspired Barth to write songs that stretched beyond mere words. He wanted to write songs that spoke to the soul and weren’t dependent on clever lyrics to convey thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Looncry is warm and personal, as well as soulful and honest. It’s a very human album that strives to leave listeners with a sense of hope after every listen.