Known for their evocative storytelling and cinematic folk sound, folk duo, Charles James & The Rise, have returned with their latest haunting new single, Greatest Prize.
The acclaimed husband-and-wife team continues to deliver profound narratives that resonate deeply with their audience. Coinciding with their latest release, Charles James & The Rise will be performing live at Your Roots Are Showing
, Ireland's leading folk and roots music conference, on January 16th.
With a powerful backing, Greatest Prize
captures the duo's signature cinematic sound, blending Charles' raw, heartfelt delivery with Catherine O'Donnell's ethereal harmonies.
Lyrically the song explores the demons that haunt us, inspired by Charles James' own struggles with recurring nightmares. Through poetic and self-aware lyrics, the song unpacks how unresolved traumas — ghosts of the past
— linger beneath the surface and inevitably demand acknowledgment.
As I've gotten older, I've suffered a lot with nightmares—never the same ones, but always something. 'Greatest Prize' came from being strung out because I was waking so often through the night. Through the lyrics, I've tried to explore the idea that your demons, ghosts of the past, or whatever it happens to be, always live with you whether you realize it or not—and they'll find a way to the surface if you don't deal with them.- Charles James
Yet amidst the song's darker themes, Charles brings moments of wry self-awareness and humor, admitting, I'd be the first to tell someone to get help and the last to actually take my own advice!
This balance of vulnerability and levity is a hallmark of Charles James & The Rise's music, and it shines through in Greatest Prize.
The single, Greatest Prize is available through all streaming platforms.
Photo: Charlie Joe Doherty