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May 24, 2023 By Caleb Campbell

Slow Leaves is the indie folk project of Canadian singer/songwriter Grant Davidson. His songwriting pulls from a deep well of influences, both classic (Neil Young and Nick Drake) and contemporary (Big Thief and Bonnie “Prince” Billy), but he also marries these well-worn touchstones with his own sense of tender warmth and unassuming honesty. Slow Leaves is entirely Davidson’s world, with every inch acting as a reflection of himself. To that end, in addition to songwriter, he also takes on the role of multi-instrumentalist, producer, cover art designer, photographer, and videographer.

Next month, Davidson is back with his fifth full-length record, Meantime, due out June 30th via Birthday Cake Records. As he describes, the record is a tribute to the treasured little moments in life. “I see this album as a love letter, a collection of messes that fit neatly within a regular life if there is such a thing,” he explains. “In that sense, I guess these songs serve as a reminder for myself, since I’m forgetful, that all moments are equal in that they pass through us once only in long stretches of boredom or by bursts of love and death. In the meantime, I only hope not to let any more go by unnoticed.”

Last month Davidson shared the record’s lead single, “American Band,” and today he’s back with his latest track, “Nothing Really Changes,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Nothing Really Changes” is a meditative and deeply poetic effort, featuring a world-worn vocal performance from Davidson set against some winding fingerpicked guitar. In its sparse, stripped-back setting, the track’s spotlight shines on Davidson’s lyrics alone, giving space for his magnetic and devastating inner monologue. He outlines a dark spiral of isolation, longing, and depression, eventually arriving at a weary acceptance of time’s inexorable march forward: “They say nothing really changes / Time just rearranges all / I guess this life is just a game and I’m just realizing it now”

Davidson says of the track, “It’s a song about the isolation that comes with bouts of depression. You’re alone in your head, with yourself, with an enemy to whom you’ve not only surrendered but embraced. There’s a perverse pride in this thinking, a pleasure in indulging what feels hopeless to resist. There’s a feeling of inhabiting the real you, of embodying now your true self. It’s a testament to the power of perspective, a bias in believing your present view is the correct one by perceiving clarity through clouded logic. You confuse stubbornness for strength. You begin to see those around you, your loved ones, bearing the weight you’d thought was yours alone. If I’m lucky this realization comes by way of a song, an acknowledgment easier said than done, that sometimes I need help too.”

Check out the song and video below. Meantime is due out on June 30th via Birthday Cake Records. Pre-order the record here.