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Aug 15, 2023 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Libby Rodenbough

Next month, Durham-based singer/songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno are back with their debut album under the moniker Viv & Riley. Arriving September 15th via Free Dirt Records, the finds the pair moving past their country and traditional folk roots and incorporating layered and lush indie folk sonics. The record finds them in the process of discovery, charting new territory with their songwriting and honoring new experiences. To do so, they brought in Alex Bingham of Hiss Golden Messenger on production, along with his bandmate Sam Fribush, Andy Stack of Wye Oak and Helado Negro, and pedal steel player Whit Wright.

The duo have already shared two new singles from the record, “Kygers Hill” and “Is It All Over,” and today they’re back with an early listen to the album’s title track, premiering with Under the Radar.

“Imaginary People” finds Viv & Riley reflecting on the many refracted angles of their being, “wondering who I am today.” Leva’s vocals and sawing fiddle still retain plenty of the pair’s rootsy country sheen, but the band pairs those elements with an instrumental warmth and organic joy that lends the track a gentle, settled tone. Keening pedal steel, pastoral chord progressions, and plaintive melodies make for a sweet and poignant core to the track, one that shines brightly amidst the searching lyrics. Together, Viv & Riley’s wistful reflections make for welcome folk delights.

Leva says of the track, “I wrote this song sometime in March of 2021, right before the COVID vaccine became available to me. In more than a year of lockdown, I hadn’t been able to bring myself to write a single song. I was too preoccupied finishing up school and trying not to get COVID, and ultimately feeling super overwhelmed and uninspired. Now that I think about it, I believe I had written a good portion of the chorus in the first weeks of lockdown during the previous year. A year later, I decided to paste it into this new song.

‘Imaginary People’ is about evaluating and juggling all of the different versions of myself. Without any way to be around friends, make music, or travel, I felt like I was relying on memories of myself to determine who I was currently. Was I adventurous and a little reckless? Or was I grounded and measured? Am I kind to myself or too judgemental? Because I couldn’t be in relationships with others, I felt like I didn’t know myself. However, this song is also a realization that other people won’t necessarily fix my own internal struggles. It recognizes that just because you’re around people you love, it doesn’t mean that you can avoid internal reflection and growth.”

Check out the song below. Imaginary People is out everywhere on September 15th via Free Dirt Records.