Ant The Symbol & Deau Eyes Spread Musical Cheer In Latest Hourglass Session For “Pride Like A Pendant”
Capping off a banner year, Hourglass Sessions is back to celebrate not just the holiday season but also the communal spirit of Richmond music with their last video for 2023 featuring a performance of “Pride Like A Pendant” by Ant The Symbol, Deau Eyes, and a bevy of other Richmond all-stars.
Released after Thanksgiving, the video tracks a friendly dinner party that’s paused for an impromptu jam session, snuggly placed right across from the dining table. Ant The Symbol leads the proceeding while nodding behind his mixing board in an upright recliner as the vocals from Deau Eyes fill the soulful ambience with dreamy invitation. Adding to the harmonic richness, local musicians Erin Lunsford and Ceili Galante comfortably sit in as backing singers, contributing their voices to the lush musical tapestry being built. A quick scan of the room reveals the other colorful additions to that dosser: Kelli Strawbridge on drums, Trevor Pietsch on guitar, Mark McCutchen on bass, Chet Fiersson on saxophone, Reggie Pace on trombone, Sam Koff on trumpet, and even Elijah Hedrick bringing in positive vibes from start to finish.
As the song swells from the collective talent at play, Deau Eyes takes a modest tour around the room, topping off the drinks of her friendly bandmates and sharing an infectious smile with the evening’s sonic director. The sparkling tones gradually settle at the conclusion as the video transitions to a window peek of the entire group sitting down to enjoy a mouth-watering feast. But not before first raising their glasses in a toast to the festivities with Ant The Symbol front and center.
The tenth track on Ant The Symbol’s latest album I Know Who I Am, released this past June through Shockoe Records, “Pride Like A Pendant” is a vibrant fusion of luminous tones and expansive grooves that draws inspiration from both alt-pop and neo-soul, creating a distinctive musical experience. It’s a stand-out track on a record overflowing with stand-out tracks, a testament to both the collaborative ambition of Ant The Symbol and the forceful voice of Deau Eyes, traits that have helped to grow and refine the Richmond music scene substantially these last few years.
This isn’t the first time the folks behind Hourglass Sessions have brought together so many Richmond luminaries. In February, they released a video of Piranha Rama performing “Time Being” at Virginia Moonwalker studios that featured almost a dozen local musical legends, including Reggie Pace who pops up in this video. Most notably though, the production team celebrated their 50th session milestone with a special performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody” that paid tribute to the depth of talent here in Richmond music, featuring more familiar faces from this video like Deau Eyes and Erin Lunsford on lead vocals and Ceili Galante featured in the concert crowd.
Hourglass Sessions were not the only ones having banner years in 2023. Deau Eyes began the year being named an artist to watch by NPR and soon after won the 2023 Newlin Music Prize for Legacies, her sophomore album released in 2022. Along with “Pride Like A Pendant,” she also contributed vocals to “Not Too Late” on I Know Who I Am, Ant The Symbol’s towering sonic odyssey that signified a new chapter for his already illustrious musical career. Ant kept busy after that release as well, performing front-and-center at the 804 Day festival in Shockoe Bottom and helping to curate the Rapper’s Delight concert at The Hippodrome, bookending the inaugural Richmond Music Week with his own music and influence.
Watch the video for “Pride Like A Pendant” below and make sure you’re following both Ant The Symbol (click here), Deau Eyes (click here), and Hourglass Sessions (click here) on social media so you can keep up to date on their next projects. Don’t miss these artists in concert either: Ant The Symbol performs next on Saturday, December 2nd at Black Iris Social Club alongside T.R.I.G., Reppa Ton, and MO (ticket info here), while Deau Eyes is hosting her 3rd Annual Holiday Party on Sunday, December 17th at The Hofheimer Building (event info here).
