Erika Kulnys, Nova Scotia/Berlin/Nashville/Puerto Vallarta-based singer/songwriter beckons you to embark on a profound exploration of self-liberation with her latest acoustic pop release, Swimming with Dolphins, co-written with Alan Roy Scott (Celine Dion, Shakira). Check it out on YouTube here:
Through poignant lyrics that resonate with the call of the sea, Kulnys encourages you to immerse yourself in the uncharted depths of your essence, navigating the limitless expanse of personal empowerment and freedom.
Crafted amidst the serene landscapes of the Irish island, Inisheer, the genesis of this song was inspired by the sight of a wild dolphin joyfully navigating the waves without constraints or judgments, choosing to swim playfully with people in her natural environment. As Erika Kulnys passionately asserts, this song encapsulates freedom from our self-imposed perceptions, and from our painful mortal entanglements:
“This song is about being free, from our conceptions about ourselves, our conceptions of others, and our attachments to suffering”, affirms the Canadian-American-British-Hungarian-Colombian artist. “It is about following the wild dolphins who show us how to laugh and love and sing in our power.”
Set against an intimate and intense piano backdrop played by Cuban pianist, Alejandro Falcon, Kulnys crystal clear and powerful vocals beautifully capture her sense of independence in the resounding chorus: ‘Now I’m swimming with dolphins/Riding the waves just letting go/Feel the wind rushin’ through my soul/Calls to me/Swimming with Dolphins.’
Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/album/7AULedmdlVQXuZECygE8ww
The track will appear on Erika’s upcoming album “Stand Together”, a musical mosaic featuring Spanish gems Fantasma (Ghost) and Alcanzando La Rosa (Reaching for the Rose: written with Gareth Dunlop and translated in Cuba). The album also embraces the heartfelt ballad in Montreal, cowritten with Lilli Lewis during the creative synergy of Folk Alliance International.
Enriching the experience, Cuban musicians infuse the upcoming Spanish tracks with passion and rhythm, adding depth to Erika’s musical narrative.
The album’s debut single, My Choice, stands as a vocal protest in support of Whole Woman’s Health, amidst the discourse on abortion and bodily autonomy in the USA. The second single, Stand Together, took form through a cross-continental journey, beginning in Cuba, finding its completion as a song in Germany and getting produced in the USA and Canada.
Stand Together is about ending the torture, internment and subjugation of refugees and creating a culture that recognizes our common humanity over national borders.
Delving into a diverse array of thought-provoking themes, Swimming with Dolphins adds another layer: beyond advocating for the liberating stance of indifference to external opinions, the song exudes romance, affirming Erika’s journey to love—a narrative that poignantly underscores the notion that sometimes love finds us when we least expect it.
‘I swam in the ocean
thinking is this is how I die?
In the freezing water, something caught my eye
I knew I should be afraid
but somehow I felt free
Now your love is leading me
to where I’m meant to be
We’ll go swimming with Dolphins’
Swimming with Dolphins is the fourth track on “Stand Together”, set to be released later in 2023. With the prior success of her album, Rise Up, which achieved Top Ten rankings on Canadian and US charts and garnered accolades spanning from Ireland to Florida, Stand Together promises to carry forward this remarkable trajectory.
