Listen to mournful new Susanna track Go Dig My Grave

By Scott Munro
( Prog )
published

Norwegian artist Susanna releases stream of Go Dig My Grave - the title track from her upcoming album featuring reworkings of folk ballads and covers

Susanna
Susanna

Norwegian artist Susanna has released a stream of her new single Go Dig My Grave.

It’s the title track from her upcoming album which includes reworkings of folk ballads and covers. It’ll launch on February 9 via her SusannaSonata label and features baroque harp player Giovanna Pessi, accordion player Ida Hidle and fiddle player and folk singer Tuva Syvertsen.

Speaking about Go Dig My Grave, Susanna says: “During my trips to the States over the past years I have picked various Folkways records and I have been able to discover some old songs.

“The label presents a broad variety of American folk songs and among my favourites are the Jean Ritchie albums and her version of Go Dig My Grave.

“When I heard the song I knew immediately that I wanted to sing it. I was struck by the presence in her singing and the tragic story to the song. It took a while to make my own version of it though, to find the right way to present it.”

Susanna says she’s drawn to sad songs and how people have used music throughout the years and adds: “It feels like they use songs and singing as a way of processing and dealing with of the difficult times in their lives.

“There’s a lot of similarities in the dramatic ways of telling a story in the old English ballads such as The Willow Song and The Three Ravens and the American folk songs like Go Dig My Grave – even if the newer folk songs have more of a straightforwardness to the tragedy.”

Susanna will play at the Oslo World Festival on November 5. Find the Go Dig My Grave cover art and tracklist below.

Susanna Go Dig My Grave tracklist

  1. Freight Train (Elizabeth Cotten)
  2. Cold Song (John Dryden/Henry Purcell)
  3. Invitation to the Voyage (Charles Baudelaire/Susanna Wallumrød)
  4. Rye Whiskey (Traditional)
  5. The Willow Song (Anonymous)
  6. Go Dig My Grave (Traditional)
  7. Lilac Wine (James Shelton)
  8. Wilderness (Joy Division)
  9. The Three Ravens (Old English folk ballad)
  10. Perfect Day (Lou Reed)

Susanna: Triangle

Scott Munro
Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald newspapers, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.