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Mar 29, 2022 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Blanca Chavez

Canadian folk duo Mama’s Broke have spent years on the road, crossing new musical boundaries and absorbing new musical traditions with each new destination. After debuting in 2017 with Count the Wicked, Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler spent their next years on a near-constant touring schedule, running between Canada, the United States, Ireland, the UK, and Europe. Their upcoming sophomore record, Narrow Line, is a tour through their dark and expansive folk influences, ranging from Eastern European fiddle tunes to Appalachian folk, a capella balladry, and more.

Earlier this year, the pair shared their first single from Narrow Line, “Just Pick One.” Today they’re back with the record’s title track, “Narrow Line,” premiering with Under the Radar.

With “Narrow Line,” the pair’s synthesis of folk stylings takes the form of a dark and layered meditation. The track feels like carving a path into a dense and dark forest, with only the pair’s chiming instrumentation and ghostly folk harmonies to light the way. The song’s stormy nature is equally reflected in the lyrics, which touch on violence, injustice, misogyny, and climate collapse. The song (and the album that shares its name) are the pair’s attempt to find their way forward and grapple with all they’ve seen on their multi-year transatlantic tour. They confess, “We can’t hold it all / Our hands are just too small / Best we can do is break up time / And keep it all on the narrow line.”

Mama’s Broke say of “Narrow Line,” “This song is all about boundaries. From the boundaries we impose on ourselves, to the ones that are forced upon us. The “Narrow Line”, is, in a sense, the line we walk in order to keep from falling over the edge and losing sanity through such chaotic and fearful times. The verses touch on violence against immigrants, wealth disparity, rape culture throughout history, climate destruction, and trauma.”

Check out the song and accompanying visualizer below. Narrow Line is out everywhere May 13th via Free Dirt Records. Pre-order the album here.