My second single Hidden Springs is a big shift from my debut single, Still the Waves even though both are inspired by Kierkegaard. I’m so excited for you to hear it!
Hidden Springs was written on a small island off the coast of Norway this summer at a songwriting camp. Nordic Songcamping took place at Vogts Villa, a seaside escape on Dvergsøya, Kristiansand that has served as a summer residence for the Norwegian royal family and is just a few hours ferry from the tip of Denmark.
Although Kierkegaard, who inspired both songs, never set foot in Norway he technically was born at a time when Denmark and Norway were still united as one kingdom, and that shared history somehow felt alive while writing there. I was lucky to work with Danish-Norwegian producer Opie (Asbjørn Thesbjerg Larsen) and Norwegian singer-songwriter Jannike Klemmetsen. Both brought a sense of warmth and community to the process.
Hidden Springs is about renewal, resilience, and the quiet kind of love that flows even when we can’t see its source.
The title comes from a quote from Søren Kierkegaard’s Works of Love:
“As the quiet lake is fed deep down by the flow of hidden springs, which no eye sees, so a human being’s love is grounded, more deeply, in God’s love.”
This image of love as something unseen yet sustaining has stayed with me for years since I first read it at Yale Divinity School in 2018.
I’ve long been drawn to Søren Kierkegaard, maybe because he writes so beautifully about the inner life. He saw love as something that springs from a hidden source. You can’t see where it begins, but you can feel that it’s there. Love doesn’t have to announce itself with big fireworks to be real. (Although I’m sure it’s pretty spectacular when it does!)
Hidden Springs grew out of gratitude and learning to find beauty in every season. The lyrics are about choosing joy even when you feel the blues, and about “dancing your way through it,” as I sing in the chorus. Musically, I wanted to capture a sense of renewal, like sunlight breaking through clouds. Opie, who’s also a drummer, added gentle bossa nova rhythms and an organic jazz touch that gives the song movement and swing. Can’t wait to hear what you think and hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed bringing it to life!