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Jun 22, 2022 By Caleb Campbell

Shady Cove is the new project from Sarah Nienaber and Sarah Rose, formerly of the Portland indie rock trio Candace. Together, the two longtime collaborators decamped to a small cabin south of Portland and began crafting the songs that would encompass their forthcoming debut album, out September 9th on Park the Van. Earlier this year, we got a taste of what the pair have in store with their debut single, “Summer Days,” and today they’re back with another new track, “High Divide,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“High Divide” is a lithe and charming indie pop cut, carried by sparse drum samples, catchy bass lines, and Nienaber and Rose’s gently intertwining vocals. The results feel simple yet elemental. “High Divide” is the kind of song that worms its way into your head and will have you humming it for days afterward. Lyrically, the track takes a nostalgic look into nights spent on the road driving with no destination in mind. Rose and Nienaber wish they could drive for an eternity, treasuring the sweet intimacy found on the road togetherー“Nothing sweeter than seeing her next to me/And the feeling of leaving home with nowhere to be/Playing that one cassette, running on empty/Every highway singing right back to me.”

Nienaber explains of the track, “This song materialized in a unique way, or at least, unique for us. Sarah Rose wrote the melody and most of the words in her head without any music. When it came time to record, she sang it over my shoulder while I sat at my desk and fumbled around on a little keyboard to find the chords and rhythm. It all fell into place pretty quickly. One of our best friends, Chris Bierden (also from the band Polica) lent his genius to the song and recorded the bass and timpani samples remotely back in Minnesota. I remember being floored the first time we listened to his parts. He described them as “Disney Reggae.” I’ve always thought of it as a country song. I’m wondering if anyone else is going to catch that vibe.”

Rose continues, saying, “I had been sitting with the lyrics and melody for months. I was constantly singing it under my breath everyday until it came together. I waited until the version I could hear in my head felt nearly complete before sharing it with Sarah. I really thought no one would ever hear this one, but it turned out to be one of my favorites on the record.”

Check out the song and video below. Shady Cove is due out September 9th on Park the Van.