Beta Radio - Afraid of Love EP (2021) [Hi-Res]

Wilmington, NC indie folk duo Beta Radio share a new song called “Hope You Change Your Mind” from their upcoming EP, Afraid of Love, out January 8, 2021. “Hope You Change Your Mind” sees the pair--Ben Mabry and Brent Holloman—perform their first duet-style song, with Brent’s wife Amanda Holloman lending her silky vocals to the track.

Ben says, “With all the new songs, we're sort of stretching out in every direction, musically speaking … trying new approaches to writing, lyrically and sonically. The theme I keep coming back to with all of these songs is love. It’s been a theme I've thought was overdone and have been trying to avoid for a long time. But it seems like it’s the only thing in the world that matters right now, so despite my best efforts, it’s what I guess I'm singing about these days. The song is about not wanting something very meaningful to me to end. We've been wanting to do a real duet style song with Amanda for a while now. As soon as I put pen to paper, it felt like this song was calling out for that. We've been kicking this song around for a couple years, but, as with so much in our lives, this one took time, space, pain and life to be realized.”

Afraid of Love follows this summer’s Way of Love EP, which Glide called “cinematic in an emotionally impactful way” and American Songwriter called “tranquil and layered.” The sweeping, orchestral title track “Way of Love” featured drums from The National’s Bryan Devendorf and horns by frequent Bon Iver collaborator CJ Camerieri.

Beta Radio artfully and carefully piece together their ethereal folk sound with an architect’s attention to detail and a carpenter’s work ethic. The Afraid of Love and Way of Love EPs follow their acclaimed 2018 full length album and Nettwerk debut, Ancient Transition, an album cast in folk-style lyricism, Americana spirit, and orchestral experimentation. Atwood Magazine called it “a must-listen for 2018 and a powerful showing of what’s to come from this artist-to-watch,” and The Wild Honey Pie remarked it “sounds as if it should be playing during an important life moment, like seeing the northern lights for the first time or during a first kiss that took way too long to occur.”