Every March Find New Energy on Uplifting Single To Stay Above Ground
Few independent artists have built a catalogue as consistently impressive as Every March. Since launching the project in 2020, Belfast songwriter Barry Shields has quietly amassed an extensive collection of albums and singles that showcase his knack for melodic alternative songwriting. Long before Every March, Shields earned his stripes with acclaimed Belfast outfit The Vals, touring Europe alongside Paul Weller and sharing stages with the likes of Ocean Colour Scene, The Zombies and Cast. Those experiences are evident throughout his songwriting, but Every March has always felt like a fresh creative chapter built on honesty, melody and a fiercely DIY spirit.
While previous releases saw Shields handling much of the creative workload himself, To Stay Above Ground marks an important step forward. For the first time, Every March brings a full live band into the recording process, allowing each musician to shape the arrangement naturally. The result is a song that feels bigger, warmer and more immediate without ever becoming over-produced. Every instrument has room to breathe, proving that sometimes restraint is every bit as powerful as technical showmanship.
Speaking about the songwriting process, Shields explained:
The song was written in an open guitar tuning and then transposed back into standard. This was a way to try to trick myself into new chord progressions.
That willingness to experiment pays dividends. The track begins with delicately picked acoustic guitar before seamlessly expanding into an uplifting indie rhythm. Layers of shimmering electric guitars weave in and out of the mix, occasionally embracing a jangling quality that recalls classic indie rock while still sounding fresh. Beneath it all, the rhythm section locks into an effortless groove, creating the kind of momentum that can only come from musicians playing together in the same room.
Vocally, Shields opts for subtlety over spectacle. Rather than competing with the band's energy, his understated performance sits comfortably within the arrangement, allowing the emotion of the lyrics to shine through. It's an intimate vocal delivery that never feels forced, proving you don't need soaring choruses or arena-sized theatrics to make an emotional impact.
Lyrically, To Stay Above Ground
explores the desire to experience life to its fullest - to chase those moments that remind you you're alive and to embrace the excitement and uncertainty that comes with living in the present. That optimistic outlook is reflected throughout the music, making the song feel both reflective and quietly uplifting.
The recording itself deserves equal praise. Tracked live with Steve Farley at Narrow Water Studios in Warrenpoint, the performance captures the spontaneity and chemistry that can often disappear in pieced-together studio recordings. Every note feels authentic, preserving those elusive lightning in a bottle
moments that only happen when a band shares the same room.
Even the artwork reflects the song's organic nature. Created from a forgotten photograph Barry had taken years earlier, it perfectly complements the music's atmosphere, providing a visual companion to its themes of reflection, freedom and appreciating life's fleeting moments.
Final Verdict
With To Stay Above Ground
, Every March doesn't reinvent the band's sound so much as refine it. The addition of a full band injects fresh life into Barry Shields' already accomplished songwriting, resulting in one of the project's strongest and most complete releases to date.
The single, To Stay Above Ground, is available through all streaming platforms.
Photo Credit: Every March
