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Jun 22, 2021 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Joshua Black Wilkins

Introspective folk troubadour Christopher Paul Stelling is returning this fall with his first self-released record in eight years, Forgiving It All. Recorded in the wake of the passing of his beloved grandmother, Stelling’s sixth studio album serves as some of his most introspective work yet. Stelling unpacks the pains, hard-fought lessons, and lingering baggage that the years have marked him with and eventually finds a measure of forgiveness within. He’s already shared “Die To Know” and “Cutting Loose” from the record and he’s now back with his latest single, “Wildfire,” and its accompanying video, premiering with Under the Radar.

“Wildfire” stands among the most simply presented and powerfully resonant of any of Stelling’s work. Accompanied only by his own soul-rending vocals and gently ambling finger-picked guitar, Stelling pens a touching paean to death and rebirth, reflecting on all the dreams, fears, and memories that eventually will be lost “to the mercy of wildfire.” The track is the perfect encapsulation of the tumultuous times in which we now live, offering a starkly beautiful vision of the wildfire of rebirth and a gentle reminder to cherish the simple joys that life offers.

Stelling shares of the track:

wildfire is a lullaby

a song of an untypical

yet unending grace.

the mercy of a funeral pyre.

the other side of ashes.

the fire we are born from, and return to.

it’s meant to sooth and take away.

it’s meant to offer relief and solace,

where to die is to be something new,

something made of only love.

in other words, it’s a lullaby.

Maybe too death heavy?

How about climate change?

Stream the track here and watch the accompanying video below. Pre-order Forgiving It All here, out on September 24.

Christopher Paul Stelling is also heading out on tour this summer. Check out the dates below and order tickets here.

7/22 - Providence RI - Askew

7/23 - Hamden, CT - Space Ballroom (w/ Jimbo Mathus)

7/24 - New York, NY - Rockwood Music Hall

7/25 - Medford, MA - Porch

9/23 - Decatur, GA - Eddie’s Attic

9/25 - Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle