Ferris & Sylvester have released The Game, the latest single from their upcoming third album It’s A Joy To Be Alive, ahead of its release on 14 August.
The new track looks back to where it all began for Issy Ferris and Archie Sylvester, telling the story of how the pair first met at Camden’s Spiritual Bar a decade ago. Taking turns to sing each verse, they each share their own memories of those early days before coming together for the song’s harmonised chorus.
While The Game reflects on the beginning of their relationship, the album follows the years that came after. Across its songs, the duo explore everything from falling in love and building a life together to navigating Issy’s serious illness, the premature birth of their first child and the joys of becoming parents.
Issy says, “It has taken 10 years for us to write a love song about ourselves and our story. We were touring a couple of years ago, and we had this sudden urge to swap out our darker, heavier material for something light and fun. I think Archie’s working title for the project was ‘I really f*cking love you’. ‘The Game’ was one of the first songs we wrote. We wanted it to feel like the great British love songs of the 1970s. A bit Kinks, a bit Carpenters. It turns out, we are hopelessly sentimental and romantic.”
Musically, the record continues to blend the folk, blues and rock influences that have become synonymous with Ferris & Sylvester’s sound while drawing on deeply personal experiences that have shaped both their lives and their songwriting.
Since first emerging on the UK folk scene, the duo have built an impressive following, earning a No. 1 album on the Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart, winning Album of the Year at the Americana UK Awards and performing at festivals including Glastonbury, Wilderness and SXSW. They’ve also shared stages with artists including Robert Plant.
To celebrate the release of It’s A Joy To Be Alive, Ferris & Sylvester will return to the area where their story first began when they headline Jazz Cafe on 15 December. (Get tickets here)
With The Game, Ferris & Sylvester offer a heartfelt look back at the moment everything changed. As another preview of It’s A Joy To Be Alive, it sets the scene for an album rooted in resilience, family and the experiences that have shaped the duo over the past decade.
You can pre-order the album here! It will be released on pink vinyl with a signed insert and a signed CD. Album bundle offers also include new merch items.
About Author
