B-Side Guys

The paradox of existence has long been folk music’s favorite muse, but rarely has it been explored with the delicate balance Ryland Moranz achieves in “When I’m Gone.” The Lethbridge, Alberta-based artist’s latest single emerges from Barnhouse Studios like a philosophical ghost story – haunting yet oddly comforting in its acceptance of life’s impermanence.

Opening with the confession “I am cursed, I am graced to hear the fleeting sounds,” Moranz immediately establishes the duality that runs through the track’s veins. His voice carries the weathered wisdom of the Alberta prairies, while producer Leeroy Stagger’s touch keeps the arrangement spare enough to let each word land with deliberate weight. The folk-country instrumentation serves as a gentle current, carrying listeners through existential waters without letting them drown in the depth of the subject matter.

The accompanying video, a masterful collage of public domain silent films including “Nosferatu” and “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” creates a visual tapestry that mirrors the song’s themes. These flickering images from cinema’s past become perfect dancing partners to lyrics like “Are the hopeful good hearted? Do they ask for too much?” The juxtaposition of bygone celluloid with contemporary contemplation emphasizes Moranz’s point about the eternal conversation between past and present.

What sets “When I’m Gone” apart is its refusal to wallow in existential dread. Instead, Moranz transforms philosophical uncertainty into a kind of cosmic acceptance. The recurring line “And I am out there with the ones” creates a sense of community in questioning, suggesting that doubt itself might be the thread that binds us together. His observation that “nothing is truly forgotten” feels less like wishful thinking and more like a hard-won truth.

The production, helmed by John Raham at Barnhouse Studios in Qualicum, BC, gives the track room to breathe. Each instrumental element feels intentionally placed, creating space for Moranz’s lyrics to resonate. The result is a sound that’s both intimate and expansive, like thoughts echoing across prairie skies.

As the lead single from his upcoming album “Better/Worse” (due later this year on Tonic Records), “When I’m Gone” suggests a promising evolution from his 2021 release “XO, 1945.” Where that album explored historical narratives, this new material turns its gaze toward horizons both personal and universal. The song’s structure mirrors its theme, building and dissolving like the very moments it describes.

Moranz’s meditation on impermanence avoids the common pitfall of becoming either too precious or too bleak. Lines like “The universe is cold but it feels hot to touch” showcase his ability to wrap complex ideas in accessible imagery. It’s a balancing act that demonstrates his growth as a songwriter and his understanding that sometimes the biggest truths are best delivered in their simplest form.

For those keeping score in the Canadian folk scene, “When I’m Gone” positions Moranz as an artist capable of bridging the gap between traditional folk storytelling and contemporary philosophical inquiry. It’s a song that acknowledges the weight of existence while suggesting that perhaps the lightness comes in accepting its temporary nature.