Words by Jessie Thoreson

   Jessie Thoreson & The Crown Fire is a Seattle-based PNW folk rock band. Our sound balances upbeat folk/fiddle tune energy with tender lyrical complexity and harmonies. I spend a lot of time in the wilderness around Washington state for both work and recreation and much of the lyrical and musical inspiration comes from being surrounded by wild places. 

   I was reading A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold at the time of writing this song. Round River is the name of an essay from that book about the capitalistic idea of progress and our relationship to the natural world. The metaphor of a Round River is that no matter how hard you work to paddle forward, everything is cyclical. In the end, you may not end up being any more "ahead" than someone who is simply drifting along and letting the current push them. This song attempts to capture the feeling of being okay with drifting calmly. It is the feeling of being confident that your life will be full, interesting, and meaningful without needing to feel the stress and strain of progress.

   Round River is structured so that, the longer you listen, the more voices and instruments weaving into the music. It is reminiscent of sitting around a campfire playing music and slowly witnessing everyone learning the song and deciding to join in. The tune ends with robins chirping, as if we played through the night and the sun is beginning to rise the next morning.

   This song is the title track of our debut album. The album Round River is a labor of love that playfully explores cyclical natural systems, subtle and complex emotional experiences, and movement and migration.

The album Round River can be pre-ordered here.

See more from Jessie on her website, Instagram, and Spotify!