Song Deconstructed: ‘River Of Tears’ by Seafret

Seafret’s Jack Sedman: “New songs come in like strangers, but like good friends, they can reveal sides of yourself you didn’t know were there.” Photo: Jennifer McCord

We learn how an unplanned spark at the piano turned studio fatigue into a haunting, spontaneous song about inevitable heartbreak

River Of Tears, the latest single from Bridlington duo Seafret, finds them swimming in sonic waters more commonly charted by pop-rock outfits like OneRepublic. Catchy, rousing, and self-assured, the track features a stirring vocal performance that pairs seamlessly with its piano-driven arrangement. And it should come as no surprise that singer Jack Sedman and guitarist Harry Draper are sounding assured. An unexpected TikTok moment propelled their bold ballad Atlantis to over a billion streams – a milestone that clearly emboldened their creative confidence.

But don’t worry, despite their growing global audience, they haven’t vanished into the mainstream just yet. With an intimate run of shows lined up for next month, Seafret are keeping things close to home. Here, Jack Sedman talks us through the making of their latest song…

Read our 2016 interview with Seafret

INSPIRATION

River Of Tears came to us after a long day in the studio. Our minds were fried from working on another song – those moments when you’ve listened to something so many times that you’ve lost all sense of what’s good. We were sitting around the piano, just chatting, when out of nowhere, Steve (Robson), who was producing and writing with us, played the chord progression that would become the heart of the chorus. The moment I heard it, the melody came to me, and the lyrics followed almost instantly. Within an hour, the song was finished. We were laughing, amazed at how quickly it had come together. None of us knew where it had come from, but it felt like magic.

LYRICS

The lyrics delve into the heartbreak of being in a relationship you always knew was doomed, but still struggling to accept its inevitable end. I think we’ve all experienced that kind of emotional tug-of-war. For this song, the lyrics seemed to pour out of us. Some songs are battles; they fight you for days, weeks, months – even years! But this one just flowed, and you have to take advantage of that when it happens.

Seafret’s Jack Sedman: “Some songs are battles; they fight you for days, weeks, months – even years! But this one just flowed, and you have to take advantage of that when it happens.” Photo: Jennifer McCord

MUSIC

While we were working on the lyrics, Harry and Steve got to work on the production in Pro Tools. The piano had such a raw energy and a dark, haunting atmosphere that we knew it had to stay exactly as it was when it was first played. That moment laid the foundation for everything that followed, creating a powerful platform for us to build upon.

IN THE STUDIO

The day began with us working on something completely different. We had clear goals in mind for what we wanted to achieve, but this song wasn’t part of the plan. No melody, no idea, no preparation – it just barged in and we couldn’t help but embrace it.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is what songwriting is all about for us. New songs come in like strangers, but like good friends, they can reveal sides of yourself you didn’t know were there.

River Of Tears by Seafret is out now, and the duo will be touring the UK next month. Dates and tickets can be found at seafret.com

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