‘Here’ by Gretta Seabird | Upcoming EP, ‘Cycling’
Exclusive premiere of ‘Here,’ a track by Gretta Seabird from her upcoming EP ‘Cycling,’ set to release on February 21, 2025.
Sometimes, music begins in the most unexpected ways. For Gretta Seabird, it started as a cross-country songwriting challenge: Jeremiah Brunnhoelzl, in Brooklyn, sent guitar tracks to Lee McDonnell, in Portland. McDonnell, working against a self-imposed deadline, would take just a day to write lyrics and melodies. These musical exchanges, simple at first, evolved into something they couldn’t ignore. What emerged was ‘Cycling,’ their debut EP, set for release in Winter 2025.
“After graduating from art school, I found myself gravitating towards songwriting as my main form of expression,” McDonnell shares. “It feels like an extension of the creative process I’ve always known—constantly evolving, constantly happening. ‘Here’ is about two people missing a connection that could have been, a snapshot of love that’s both playful and misaligned, full of confusion.”
The single “’Here,’ recorded in June 2024 at Little Lodge in Bushwick, dances lightly between melancholy and joy. Brunnhoelzl’s bright, chiming guitar meshes with Brock Grenfell’s clean, pop-driven beats, giving McDonnell’s lyrics an airy, celebratory tone. “I’m waiting for you / what do I do?” she croons, capturing that universal ache of missed opportunity with a disarming sweetness.
McDonnell and Brunnhoelzl’s creative partnership goes back more than a decade, to the early days of Portland’s indie music scene. McDonnell honed her voice in projects like Bevelers and Lee and the Bees, while Brunnhoelzl, performing as Arlo Indigo, carved out his own space. But life took them in different directions: Brunnhoelzl relocated to Brooklyn, and McDonnell, in an unexpected twist, lost her singing voice for over a year.
“Losing my singing voice was absolutely frightening,” McDonnell recalls. “I felt like I was losing my identity. This EP was my way of finding my way back to music and falling in love with the process again.”
The EP delves into deeply personal moments, weaving stories of heartbreak and resilience. Its title track reflects McDonnell’s disbelief at discovering a long-awaited pregnancy, while its companion piece, ‘Goodbye for Now,’ processes the miscarriage that followed just two weeks later. The sparse arrangements and melancholic tones are grounding, yet there’s an undeniable sense of hope.
“These songs don’t just dwell on the dark,” McDonnell says. “They’ve been my way of finding light—my way of healing.”
With influences ranging from the poetic oddity of Chad VanGaalen to the raw simplicity of Kimya Dawson, ‘Cycling’ is as much a reflection of its creators’ past as it is a bold step forward. “Songwriting, for me, is like merging poetry and visual art,” McDonnell explains. “It’s about capturing moments, however fleeting, and turning them into something tangible.”
From heartbreak to fleeting joy, Gretta Seabird’s Cycling reminds us of the beauty in life’s transitions—moments that define us, shape us, and inspire us to keep creating.
Headline photo: Jen Timmer Trail
Gretta Seabird Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
