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Every Seed Must Die

by Ash & Eric

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Our full length album, “Every Seed Must Die” on CD, packaged in a beautiful digipack full of photography from Tommy Vo.

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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Limited edition cuts of “Every Seed Must Die” on 12″ vinyl.
    Printed at Burlington Record Plant. Burlington, VT. June 2018.

    Comes with:
    liner notes,
    free download code.

    Limited run of 180 black vinyl.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Every Seed Must Die via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    edition of 250 

      $20 USD

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Limited edition cuts of “Every Seed Must Die” on 12″ vinyl.
    Printed at Burlington Record Plant. Burlington, VT.

    Limited run of 100 white vinyl.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Every Seed Must Die via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    edition of 100 

      $40 USD or more 

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 10 Ash & Eric releases available on Bandcamp and save 20%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Where We've Been EP, Sure, Autumn Hymn, Gold, Until My Heart Grows Quiet, Simon, Taylor, Denver, Cash, Every Seed Must Die [The Instrumentals], Every Seed Must Die, and 2 more. , and , .

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1.
River 03:34
It’s the dark night of the soul Never slept in a bed so cold Can you hear me crying out I’m aching and so alone If your love were a river On my back I would lay Let your love be a river Come and carry me away I’m a ship lost at sea With nothing here to anchor me No wind to fill my sails Why have you forsaken me? If your love were a river On my back I would lay Let your love be a river Come and carry me away I have heard your cries, my love I have never left your side, my love The emptiness I know so well I wept until the blood fell I drank the bitter cup Darkness came to swallow me up I rose to meet the dawn In brilliant light to carry you home Let my love be a river Rest your weary heart
2.
Brother 03:41
He moved to Colorado in his 27th year Living like that old John Denver song He said he had to try to learn to love again We said “Go now, but brother don’t be long” He move out to the mountains ‘cause he heard the air was fresh Got news about his family, thought he’d go and find some rest Said, “I think I’ll never want to learn love again” We said “try and do your best - try not to give up just yet” I never had a brother of my own There was nobody else living in my home But you’ve shown me the way of patient sadness And I thank you for that I was born into this life all on my own There were others, but they told me they never made it home So when I finally went and got myself grown I made a family out of water and the blood that makes us whole He came into my kitchen on a warm Sunday night Said we have something to tell you, I went and saved your husband’s life Remembering it now, I wish I’d looked into his eyes And said, “you think it was his, but it was mine” I never had a brother of my own There was nobody else living in my home But you’ve shown me the way of loving kindness And I thank you for that I’m sorry for the things that made you run I wish that I could take them from you, I wish it could be done In the very least I thought I’d let you know No matter how lost you get in me You’ll always have a home I never had a brother of my own There was nobody else living in my home But you’ve shown me the way of loving kindness, and patient sadness And I thank you for that I thank you for that How can I thank you for that?
3.
Home 04:30
I find myself at 33 years old with an aching in my soul Like longing for the warmth of a mid-summer’s night While the world’s covered in snow Or like the memory of a place I’ve never been a place I once called home Though I’ve tried to hide it It’s worn me down to fight the question burning in my bones I have been longing, longing to know - can I feel settled down in my soul Can I be deeply secure, can I know it for sure that I am well That all will be well I am grateful for my family, friends, and my wife, for the work I was made to do But those birds rise on the wind, and I wish just like them To feel at ease in my own skin This is deep calling out to deep, it is a thirst I cannot quench I have felt it for some time, my well is running dry And I am thirsting for some peace I have been longing, longing to know - can I feel settled down in my soul Can I be deeply secure, can I know it for sure that I am well That all will be well At the end of the day I just want to know that I’m alive At the end of the day I just want to be To be home, to be free, for my soul to sing a song called liberty
4.
Lost & Found 03:18
Everything felt possible, everything felt new The tears streaming down my face brought healing, brought truth I found a family, I found belonging. And I found you. Like I was finally seeing in color, a new light shining through I had you, oh It never came down crashing or burning, it never fell apart Just unraveled the miles and miles of string at the hem of my heart I had my home here, I had these four strong walls, I had my ego filled My broken cisterns just started leaking, and they drank from them still I had you, oh Now everything feels so impossible. Inconsistent, and false I’m left wondering if all those years were just me talking to the wall I lost my family, I lost belonging, the veil was torn I lost my ego, my self-reliance, I lost my pedestal But I found you
5.
Always I 02:00
Listen to us God, do you hear your daughters cry Do you hear your children beg for peace Look to us God, do you see our outstretched arms Do you see the tears fall down our cheeks? We're losing hope, oh God, when we see our people die When we see our brothers slain each day Restore us to yourself, and return to us our joy So our mourning will start to sing You dwell among us, God, and you live in broken hearts Your glory's in the least of these In the ones we overlook, you're in the ones who we oppress The outcast, sinner, poor, and meek The adultress, the diseased, you're in the murder and theif The ones who will betray, you're in the ones who've walked away And you're calling us home to stay
6.
It’s all fading fast The world that I see won’t last And it feels like the tighter I hold on the quicker it all slips away And time knows no mercy It slows down for nobody The clockwork ticks steadily forward [Driven by] a lifeless machinery Seems like every seed must die Fall to the earth for a while It’s hard to lose, and it hurts to let go But every seed must die For new life to grow I have a cousin He said while he was praying Every color burst to life around him in a shimmering dance Then he looked me in the eye Said “I’m no longer afraid to die For the love that we share here together Will never pass away” Yes, and every seed must die Fall to the earth for a while It’s hard to lose, and it hurts to let go But every seed must die For new life to grow And my heart beats that it’s true My eyes perceive just a partial view Though beauty seems to flee It's a signpost for a world I will one day see
7.
Mary-Ann 04:16
We were tired of the phone calls, we were tired of the news There was something so different about losing you When the phone started ringing in the early part of dawn We knew before we answered that you were gone And the angels were singing, as we closed our teary eyes again And the bells started ringing , as he welcomed home his Mary-Ann It’s been such a long year, yes it’s been such a trial Would you mind if I just sat here for a while I’ve heard you’re good to talk to, and there’s so much left to say Like “why do good things have to go away” - they go away And your daughters were singing, as you closed your weary eyes again And the phone kept on ringing As you said your prayers with beads still in your hands And we sang Joy, mother you’re full of grace, look at my face Joy, mother, fruit of your womb, lights up the room And we sing songs, you sing along as good as you can And we'll sing your songs, we'll sing it strong as long as we can As long as we can We'll sing joy, mother, Mary-Ann
8.
Je vous salue, Marie, pleine de grâce le Seigneur est avec vous Vous êtes bénie entre toutes les femmes et Jésus, le fruit de vos entrailles Est béni, Sainte Marie Mère de Dieu, Priez pour nous Pauvres pécheurs maintenant et à l’heure de notre mort Amen
9.
Always II 01:17
Arise, forever, my sweet love The hope you're looking for has come in flesh now Arise, and never be afraid For I am with you always
10.
Grateful 04:14
Walk with me to the waterside See the sun sinking slow Paint a canvas sky from blue to red and gold Hold my hand sitting in the sand The light slips past the trees Draws back the curtain on a shimmering galaxy And I wonder at the mystery of the breath inside our lungs The very gift that sustains me, holds the life of everyone And I am grateful, grateful to be alive I wake with you lying by my side As if you’ve always been there Gentle curving frame, soft and golden hair I still remember a place in time All I had was a prayer A simple wish - a life that we could share And I when I wonder at the mystery of our love I’m overcome Of all the billions of people our two hearts they beat as one And I am grateful, grateful to be alive But I get lost sometimes My blood runs cold and my eyes grow blind When I’ve reached my end and can’t find my way You’re standing there right in front of me Ooooo So I wonder at the mystery of a love that seeks me out Through every season of suffering, in my fear and in my doubt And I am grateful, grateful to be alive
11.
Lullaby 03:08
My flower, my daisy, I am well pleased With the person you are, and the person you’ll be My daughter, my child, I’m with you always Nothing will change that, for all of your days When the world is against you, I will protect you I’ll never reject you. I’ll be by your side When you stand on the mountain, or down in the valley I’ll hear when you call me; I’ll be your guide My son, whom I love, I am well pleased Not with what you’ve done or what you will achieve But the soul in those bones was formed by the one Who gave you the stars, and gave you his son And if I am for you, tell me - who could be against you? Who could ever test you, or threaten your life? In all the sky above you, and all the earth below you No one could ever know you quite like I do My beacon of hope, you are the joy in my life You’re the sunshine of spring, you are the blue in my eyes You’re the white dove that’s come with the end of this rain The colors of the rainbow, and the passing of our pain I said that I would come, I told you it’d be done And it’s not in my nature to break a promise You waited for me, and now you will see The glorious day that is upon us For now, close your eyes I'll hold you through the night Darling, child of mine

about

If you live long enough on this earth you will love, and you will lose. For Ashley & Eric L'Esperance, the folk duo The Promise is Hope, the past four years have been abundant with both love and loss - joy and sorrow - high peaks and low valleys.

In a short time, the two had the joy of bringing their lives together, releasing their debut album "Where We've Been & Where We're Going," and heavily touring the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Touring had given them the opportunity to meet and share their hearts with countless beautiful people, many who’d become great & friends and close supporters of their journey. In the same season, the two lost four family members; and went through a painful disintegration of their local faith community. Cancer, suicide, mental illness, and disillusionment had taken their toll and left the them full of questions.

After everything they had experienced, the L'Esperances slowly started writing songs that would become their sophomore album, "Every Seed Must Die." The process of writing and composing was a cathartic examination of death and life, grief and joy, loss and love. The songs are a result of the two digging into their hearts to explore the darkness they had experienced. Writing helped them process some of life’s toughest moments, and their hope is that the songs can do the same for other people - that they will meet you, the listener, wherever you are, walk with you through whatever you are going through & offer you a way forward.

Lyrically and musically, “Every Seed Must Die” marks a step forward for The Promise is Hope. The thematic content shows a growth in depth and maturity for both songwriters, who have always strived to bring raw, honest emotion to well-crafted lyrics. The duo seeks to build onto the great tradition of songwriters that have gone before them, and desires to contribute their unique perspective to the vast American folk landscape. The L’Esperances have shown great restraint in their approach to production. The two went into the studio seeking to create a sound that matched the vulnerability and intimacy of their lyrical content and alluded to the intimacy of their live performance. Old Bear Studio (Batavia, NY) Producer Chris Hoisington caught their vision. With his decisive ear for nuance, and an attitude of “less is more,” Chris helped craft an acoustic sound that features their two voices set over finger picked guitars, light piano, and cello. Inspired by production on records from decades past, Chris saw a place in the sound for the Mellotron, which often adds a soft foundation to the songs.

All together, “Every Seed Must Die” is a collection of sincere songs that encapsulates the feeling of being curled up in your favorite chair with a mug of tea (or whiskey) by the warm glow of an old space heater on a cold winter’s night. Though the world outside is bitter and cold, the warmth of this record feeds the soul and soothes the spirit.

credits

released May 18, 2018

Recorded at Old Bear Studio Batavia NY December 18th-22nd 2017
Produced by Chris Hoisington and Eric L’Esperance
Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Paul Mitro
Additional engineering by Ronald Shrock

Words and music written by Ashley and Eric L’Esperance
with the exception of words for “Jes Vous Salue, Marie” (Traditional Prayer)
Vocals and guitars performed by Ashley and Eric L’Esperance
Piano performed by Ashley L’Esperance
Mellotron performed by Ashley and Eric L’Esperance
with the exception of Mellotron on “Grateful” performed by Chris Hoisington
Cello performed by Daniel Zambrano

“River” written in loving memory of Stephen L’Esperance
“Every Seed Must Die” written in loving memory of Mary-Ann Messina
“Mary-Ann” written and “Je Vous Salue, Marie” composedin loving memory of Mary-Ann L’Esperance

Cover photography by Tommy Vo
Album Art and Design by Eric L’Esperance

www.thepromiseishope.com
All booking & contact inquiries
hello@thepromiseishope.com

© ℗ 2018 The Promise is Hope/TPIH Music (ASCAP)

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Ash & Eric Worcester, Massachusetts

Ash & Eric have never shied away from life’s hard edges. Hailing from the gritty heart of the Industrial Revolution -- Worcester, Massachusetts -- the two find consolation in discovering the beauty of being artists in the most stubbornly independent city in the north east. Their musings reflect the hope and pain we all experience sung in voices as vulnerable and honest as their lyrics. ... more

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