A Different Thread (@adifferentthread) formed after a chance meeting while busking in Ireland. Alicia Best (US) and Robert Jackson (UK) have spent the last decade forging a transcontinental sound. Not too long ago, they released an official visualizer for their latest single, “Amaranth.” Recorded at Sylvan Esso’s Betty’s studio in North Carolina (Caamp, Watchhouse, Tyler Childers) and Alma Vale in the UK, the song offers road-worn harmonies, bittersweet nostalgia, and a quietly defiant message of self-love.
A Different Thread – “Amaranth” (Visualizer)
Like sunrise after a long winter, “Amaranth” is a hopeful, dreamy Americana ballad about growing in the wrong soil and choosing to bloom anyway. Named after the ancient flower that thrives in the cracks of a Red Hook, Brooklyn sidewalk, the song blends British folk grit with North Carolina alt-country warmth, landing somewhere between Florence + The Machine and Watchhouse, with echoes of Dylan’s softer moments.
In their own words, A Different Thread explains, “Amaranth seeds first landed in Brooklyn inside ballast dirt, on ships from South America. When we went looking (after reading a New York Times piece), we found just one small plant left, holding on between building sites and new developments, but still just as bright and vivid as ever.”
Alicia Best adds, “‘Amaranth’ is a song about being resilient. It’s about realizing that just like this little flower, you have the power to pull yourself up, even against all odds. I was really struggling that winter; I saw myself in this tiny red plant. If it can bloom so brightly through concrete in the cold, maybe I can too.”
Overall, “Amaranth” speaks to anyone facing the winter blues or seasonal depression, offering a gentle reminder that you’re not alone and that you can still grow, even in harsh conditions. The single is the latest glimpse of the transatlantic duo’s forthcoming album “Over Again” (out May 1st) and accompanying tour with over 80 dates across the US and UK.
“It’s hard to heal your wounds if you think you’re bulletproof.”
Some things are just meant to be. Alicia Best (US) and Robert Jackson (UK) met while busking on the cobbled streets of Ireland and discovered both a musical and personal harmony that was serendipitous. In the decade since forming A Different Thread, Best and Jackson have taken their act on the road, touring over a dozen countries, supporting artists such as Milk Carton Kids and Jody Stephens (Big Star), and garnering critical praise from the likes of Folk Radio UK, which hailed the duo as “warm, deep songwriters that have drank from the well of 20th century tradition.”
Listen to A Different Thread’s “Amaranth” EP
We recommend adding songs from A Different Thread’s “Amaranth” EP to your favorite Americana/folk playlist. We would love to hear your thoughts! Comment below and let us know how you feel. Your feedback helps us bring you more of what you love to discover. Mel Blanc’s famous catchphrase, That’s All Folks! Thanks for reading another great article on Bong Mines Entertainment, your go-to source for new music and entertainment news. Connect with us on X, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook to share your thoughts and stay updated. Subscribe to our newsletter, grab some merch, and support us as a Patron of Bong Mines Entertainment, and always remember that (P)ositive (E)nergy (A)lways (C)reates (E)levation—P.E.A.C.E.
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