introvertmariana trench – paul garside
The verdict
“paul garside transforms the weight of depression into something buoyant and hopeful, a folk anthem rising toward light”
'mariana trench' takes its name from the deepest point on earth, and garside uses that image to talk about depression with remarkable openness. the song's chord progressions mirror the journey, descending into pressure and darkness before climbing back toward air. what makes it work is the rhythm section: jamie jordan's scottish bodhran and jj bugoma's ugandan percussion lock together to create a lovely momentum, a pulse that keeps pushing upward even when the lyrics sit in difficult territory. a friend of garside's described it as a burst of sunshine after the clouds move away, and i don't want to pinch the line, but that's exactly what it delivers. it's an uplifting, carefully built piece of songwriting.
paul garside is an alt-folk singer-songwriter from crystal palace in south london, crafting acoustic storytelling that one listener described as the kinks if they'd been a roots folk group. he recorded 'mariana trench' at rms studios in selhurst park, bringing together collaborators from scotland and uganda to build something that feels international in its reach. the single marks a significant step in his artistic journey, turning personal struggle into something that moves outward rather than inward. get this on your folk playlist, you will not regret it.
thank u for making this paul garside 🌊