Fieldlily have bookended 2026 with the release of their second EP. ‘Traces of Me’ follows on the heels of ‘Grow’ and brings with it more of their soulful electric-folk. But whereas February’s debut felt like an outworking of introspection, this latest record seems much more intentional in its message. Each song crafted with simple and repetitive riffs and lyrics to create an atmosphere for listeners to heed their words rather than simply reflect on their experience.
‘Autumn Song’ invites us to see the colours “Glow red from green… / Making trails of gold”. Its few lines built up among layers of instrumentation to highlight the soft and subtle hope imbued in the season. Likewise, ‘It Will Be Beautiful’ assures that sadness and hurt will not last and something brighter is afoot as “the seasons change”. Fieldlily draw on the same bible verse as Raye to communicate this sense of hope:
“sorrow may last for the night / but joy comes in the morning”.
They do so however through a more mellow tone, soaking the listener gently in water rather than splashing it excitedly around. The theme echoing into ‘The Morning’ which includes a recording of rainfall as backdrop to their Carpenters-esque sound.
The title track is perhaps the closest to their earlier offering. A self-examination of ego and pride that finds “man made mountains… in the traces of me”. Their search for something more selfless and of humility finds hope in the journey, making it a present reality as much as casting a prospective future state.
It’s all very interesting and leads me to consider ‘Traces of Me’ to be a concept EP. Not as deep and impacting as ‘Grow’ but nevertheless a lovely and thoughtful listen.
You can purchase the EP via their Bandcamp here or listen on your preferred streaming platform.
Featured Image (C) Fieldlily Music
