Personal. Authentic. Cathartic. Surrender Hill’s music is all of that and more, and their new album, “River of Tears,” is a perfect example of what fans have come to expect from Robin Dean Salmon and Afton Seekins Salmon – deep, insightful lyrics, Americana music that sometimes tugs at the heartstrings and sometimes sets feet tapping, and explorations into the things that make us human. This collection of songs digs into life, love, and loss, with an emphasis on the latter, and it’s an earnest and genuine listen, sure to profoundly touch anyone who listens. We had the opportunity to sit down with this husband-and-wife duo to chat recently to about their amazing new album.
Hi, Surrender Hill! Robin and Afton, you have a terrific new album that just came out called “River of Tears.” How did these songs come together and what broad strokes can you tell us about the collection?
Afton: First of all, thank you so much for taking a listen. We are so glad you are enjoying it! It is a collection of songs about life, love, and loss, all of which follow a river of tears through both the beautiful and hard moments…
Robin: All of the tunes were written in an 18-month period. The first was “River of Tears,” and it unintentionally set the tone for the album.
I’m glad you mentioned it, because that title track, “River of Tears,” is really great and stood out to me. What can you tell us about this song? What inspired you to write it and what is it about?
Afton: We are terrible when it comes to occasions like Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, and all that. It’s a bit embarrassing how bad we are. I think we just get so busy in life that we lose track of the days. Valentine’s Day 2022, Robin had it all sorted out. He bought me flowers, a card, which he forgot to fill out, but there it was nonetheless, and he wrote me a son, “River of Tears.” I loved the melody, not only because it was written for me, but because it felt really fresh.
What was it like recording this album overall? What was the vibe in the studio, and how did this song, in particular, come together?
Robin: This album turned out to be one of the hardest albums I’ve ever produced. At first, it all came together really fast, with regards to getting the bones laid down. Getting the right guitar tones and parts took a while. I wanted something different than the rest of our albums. When we started laying down the drum tracks for the song “River of Tears,” I wanted big, boxy-sounding drums. Matt tuned the snare drum way down low and loosened the snares. We threw a towel over the tom for the verses. For the guitar melody part in the middle and end of the song, I used a round neck resonator guitar with a credit card shoved under the bridge, lol. Not sure how I got there, but I did, and it gave me what I wanted. Mike Waldron added the cool slide guitars in the front. I kept the first verse completely dry and brittle and very sparse. I wanted that effect so that when the second verse comes in, it kind of takes flight.
Afton: I think the overall vibe in the studio was pretty open and experimental. Our 5-year-old son, Wren, was also hanging around for a lot of the recording which was wonderful. It has thus sprouted us a new little drummer, lol.
What do you hope this album conveys to those who listen to it?
Robin: I hope folks find it to be authentic and honest. There is a lot of life being released through this collection of songs.
Afton: My hope is that people will hear that we didn’t set out to make an album a certain way to fit what’s happening in music around us. We made an album for ourselves the way we want to hear it. Hopefully, others will like what we like.
Since you started out, how has your songwriting changed — both musically and lyrically? Do different things inspire you now? Where do you tend to get your biggest inspiration from these days?
Robin: I think our writing is tightening up. Lyrically, we make our point clear quicker. Melodically, we have written so many songs, together and individually, that sometimes we struggle to find unused melodies. It is harder to break into something really fresh. Your hands want to go to familiar places. We tried really hard with this album to make those familiar places find their own footing.
Afton: As far as inspiration, that hasn’t changed much. We have always written about our life, together, individually, and in relation to others around us. Experiences recent and past. I think we continue to grow as humans, so we are able to embrace our vulnerabilities more and more.
Songwriting can be a really personal endeavor. Is it tough to share that stuff that usually might be private if you weren’t writing a song about it? Does unveiling the songs publicly, when you release a single or an EP or album, make you anxious or is it cathartic to have the songs out there?
Robin: Many of our songs do lay it out there bare naked. For years, I have used songwriting as therapy. I’m not afraid to put my faults and missteps into a song. There are many who have struggled the same way, and just knowing you aren’t alone in it is something. Cathartic is definitely the right word for it.
Afton: I find a lot of release from writing about my feelings, whatever they may be. We always have to get through the first time performing a very personal song. It takes that first live performance to then see how we will move forward with the song. It doesn’t always go well, lol. Sometimes the tears get in the way. Robin tends to get choked up quite a bit. He’s very sensitive, you know. I definitely agree that it is cathartic, but I am also very anxious as well. It feels a bit like open-heart surgery the first time I sing a song live.
It’s not uncommon for an artist or band to be working on something new while promoting an album. Do you have anything in the pipeline to follow this album? What’s next from Surrender Hill?
Robin: We are always writing. We are playing a lot of shows but also trying to soak up the daily experiences.
Afton: Earlier this year, we spent a day recording a batch of songs live at Capricorn Studios in Macon, GA. We filmed the experience as well. That’s something we are currently cutting together.
Got any tour plans? Where can fans see you on the road?
Robin: Yep, this summer we shows in the Southeast. Folks can jump on our website and find a place to come out and say howdy. Sure hope they do!
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