Eclipse

posted by Aubrey on April 30, 2025

This song channels anticipation on a cosmic scale. The melody found Aubrey while she awaited the total eclipse of the sun on April 8, 2024.

Sitting in the grass on a tiny strip of land between two small lakes, she noodled around on the banjo as children marveled at the moon’s transformation into something from Cookie Monster’s hands. Ducks quacked, peepers chorused and everyone slowly watched the world quiet into semi-darkness. And then, BAM! The sun! Disappeared! Awe and wonder! She had no idea it would be THAT COOL. For hours after, the world kept shimmering.

“Eclipse” follows the form of a traditional old time fiddle tune, the folk genre at the heart of the Upstream sound. Beginning with a simple melody played twice (the “A part”), the tune moves into a contrasting but complimentary melody (the “B part). The B part gets repeated too. And then you do the whole thing again until you’ve had enough.

“Eclipse” is a great example of how we love to tell stories through our music – even when there are no lyrics. Craig’s arrangement of the tune, with layers of percussion, synth and guitar, add to its mystical nature. Listen closely and you can hear the complete story of the day, from anticipation, to darkness, to gleeful celebration.

A Noteworthy Moment

Listen for the moment in the very middle of the tune in which the sun completely swallows the moon. Can you feel it?

“Eclipse” from Carried Along

If you’ve ever experienced a total solar eclipse, you can probably relate to feeling like you’ll never quite be the same again. Will that be the case after listening to this song? Likely not, though the delight we get from translating an unforgettable moment into a jammin’ tune that strangers all over the world love listening to is really something. Might we say… cosmic?