Selah Sue and The Gallands craft soulful healing on new track

Off their upcoming collaborative album Movin’, Belgian soul-pop musician Selah Sue and The Gallands have released Another Way, the opening track to the album.

Written when Selah was struggling with her mental health, the track is the first piece of evidence that the collaboration with legendary jazz drummer Stephane Galland and his son Elvin would be something profound.

“This song is a call for trust. When you are facing confusion and losing yourself, it searches for a new path and a guiding hand towards a gentler way of being. It speaks about letting go of control and allowing life to show us another way forward,” she said.

When Stephane and Elvin first played the instrumental composition for Selah, she immersed herself in the music, adding melodies and lyrics. The result gave both Gallands instant goosebumps.

A fast, family-led collaboration

Recorded over just a few months, Movin’ was conceived not just as a solo effort but as a project surrounded by a family duo of seasoned musicians.

“These first three tracks have very different styles while remaining coherent, with a real identity. It is quite rare when that happens! We realised we could have fun with different aesthetics. It was a very exciting prospect,” revealed Elvin.

Along with the Gallands’s Elvin on the electric keyboard and Stephane’s drumming, Movin’ will feature bass, guitars and string arrangements by Federico Pecoraro, and mixing by Russell Elevado.

Accompanying the instrumentation, Selah Sue’s lyrics reflect her transition from darkness to light across the album’s journey.

“My state of mind completely changed between Another Way, written during a period of depression, and later songs such as Ready to Play, You & Me, and Guiding You, which exude much more lightness and joy. Working with these two did me a world of good and you can hear it.”

From darkness toward light

“Each song conveys a specific message that can be summed up as follows: do not let fear hold you back, do not avoid your grief, do not try to control everything,” explained Selah.

“On the contrary, you have to keep moving, stop resisting the turmoil, and accept being carried along. I apply these principles to my own life by going for a run every day in nature, whatever the weather.”

Reassured by the prospect of being part of a group rather than shouldering everything alone, Selah regained her serenity and strength during the creative process.

“You can clearly hear our three identities on this album and Selah’s voice ties it all together,” said Elvin.

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 The Sun Malaysia