Finding some socially-distant company and peace in a year like 2020 has been a challenge for most of us; however, Philadelphia native Rocktree (Ryan, informally) is proving that it’s entirely possible with the release of their new single “Cornelia.” In the mid-1800s, Cornelia was ‘a true woman, a good wife, and a fond mother,’ but for Ryan, she has been a source of comfort, solidarity, and inspiration. In a bed of daisies at the foot of her grave, Ryan composed an ode of farewell to their foul-weather friend, and in turn, to their own sorrow.
“Cornelia” opens with a steady acoustic guitar riff that is reminiscent of the folk sound you would hear from the Mountain Goats. The instrumentals give off a journey-like feel; much like the backing track of a road trip montage in a coming-of-age film. This sets the vibe as Ryan bids their ghostly friend adieu with a very simple and short poem that gives her permission to continue on her voyage from Earth and from being their spiritual guide through loneliness.
Goodbye my love
Heaven awaits you
Reach for the sky my love
The angels can take you
I’ll carve a stone
And I’ll visit you alone
Under the sycamore
Where we laid in the daisies
Once before
Before we knew
Who is Cornelia? What inspired you to write to her?
Cornelia is a woman whose grave I visit in a beautiful wooded cemetery near my home in West Philly. It’s a place I go often, and especially when I’m feeling lonely. It brings me some comfort to be surrounded by monuments to the love we keep for those we’ve lost. Cornelia’s headstone features a gorgeous sculpture of an angel captured a moment before flight and includes this epitaph:
Cornelia, wife of Joseph Donnelly Murphy
Died June 14th 1874
In the 48th year of her age
A true woman, a good wife, a fond mother
Heaven hath gained a saint – Earth lost one
Joseph only survived her by about a decade. I imagine his grief for the passing of his wife only being eclipsed by his love. The song sketches the arc of those feelings, and a longing for the time before, when there was only the love.
What is your writing and recording process?
I write in bursts usually, often finishing the lyrics for a dozen or so songs before ever recording more than one or two. I almost always record in a single take to voice memo. I do have a mediocre USB microphone and record to tape sometimes, but generally speaking, the energy is in the original recording. The memos aren’t perfect, but they sound pretty good to me, so I often use them for the final mix. You can hear and feel the messy bits clearly, and I like that.
[Of “Cornelia”] I played my little Yamaha APX T2 travel guitar for this one. I love that thing so much. It sounds very tinny, like a toy, but it’s still very resonant. I think I play a guitar like a drum, anyway, so it suits me that it has an odd character. There are a few layers of synth stuff on the track as well, all played on a rickety old keyboard I inherited from my grandfather, also recorded in an extremely lo-fi fashion. I’m very impatient with recording.
Which artists do you draw the most inspiration from?
I’m listening to Phoebe Bridgers as I’m writing this, and it occurs to me that there might be some vocal inspiration from her on this song. I actually wrote and recorded this song years ago, and I believe her first LP Stranger in the Alps had been released not long before that time. I was hearing it everywhere then and I still do. Pure gold.
I was also reading Mary Oliver almost every day then. I really think that’s what made me eager to write something as concise and devastating as poems of hers like “Wild Geese.” I failed miserably of course, but still I’m pleased with the result.
Beyond that, I’ll never be able to get away from the fact that I started writing songs when I was listening to The Mountain Goats almost exclusively, as one does. Since then I’ve gained a deep love for songwriters who use experimental ambient and electronic techniques in their music. Of artists in that vein, Tiny Vipers and Grouper are my twin favorites. They have a collaborative project called Mirrorring, which I adore.
Are you working on any more music for a future release?
I am. The goal is to release another single in December. It’s not a capital-C Christmas song, but it does have some seasonal relevance.
How did you come up with the name Rocktree?
I’ve written some and think quite a lot about obscure lore from the Tolkien canon. Rocktree is a character of my own imagining—an Ent who patrols and cares for the forests of the world, but is beginning to feel his age and sleeping for uncounted years between journeys; alive, but deeply treeish, so that only those passing travelers who know him for what he is would make note of a gnarled old tree on a hillside.
You can follow Rocktree on Instagram and Bandcamp, and listen to “Cornelia” below!
