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Jan 17, 2024 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Analise Schrader

Later this year, folk singer/songwriter Andrea von Kampen is set to return with her forthcoming third LP, Sister Moon, out on March 15th. Fans last heard from von Kampen in 2021 with her sophomore album, That Spell, as well as her 2022 soundtrack for the independent film A Chance Encounter, which also saw von Kampen making her acting debut.

Sister Moon finds von Kampen in a meditative and naturalistic mood, inspired by the environmentalist themes in The Overstory by Richard Powers and the writings of Saint Francis of Assisi. Both works reflect on humanity’s relationship to the earth, as well as the spiritual connection between all living things inhabiting it. Fittingly, Sister Moon feels equally earthen and spiritual, grounded in von Kampen’s intricate guitar work and elevated with her swooning melodies.

Von Kampen has already shared a series of new singles from the record last year, and today she’s back with another new track, “A Fox, A Bird,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“A Fox, A Bird” is a lovely acoustic folk song, encircled in von Kampen’s solitary guitar tones and enchanting vocals. Even more than the record’s previous singles, the track takes on a bright, spring-like warmth, soaked in pastoral sunlight and sweet melodies. Meanwhile, von Kampen’s lyrics take a similarly sanguine and empathetic view of the world, encapsulating the themes of the track in its final moments: “I think the world began in love / And we are not a problem to solve.”

Von Kampen says of the track, “‘A Fox, A Bird’ is a song I wrote that pushes back against the harm Western Christianity has inflicted on many people. While writing this album, I was highly influenced by the alternative orthodoxy of Saint Francis of Assisi and my understanding of the religion I grew up with shifted. In this song, I mention my friend Bonnie who died unexpectedly a few years ago. Bonnie was an open-minded, kind-hearted person who owned a bed and breakfast in a small town in Nebraska when I met her. As I look back on my time with her, I realize that she understood how to live well and generously in a way many people don’t. This song is about humans, animals, the earth, and the divine nature we all have within ourselves. And as Bonnie said in the end, ‘It’s all love.’”

Check out the song and accompanying live video below. Sister Moon is out on March 15th.