Song of the Day: Planes On Paper - Iron Boat

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Morning Show with John Richards, is “Iron Boat” by Planes On Paper from the from the 2015 self-released EP The Ruins.

Planes On Paper - Iron Boat (MP3)

Navid Eliot and Jen Borst's music as Planes on Paper is built around the duo's talent for crafting layered, meticulous folk songs matched with organic, skillful playing. Hoping to continue a recent creative streak between the two, the Yakima duo formed Planes on Paper after the end of their previous outfit, Not Amy. Their initial work was released on 2013's The East End Session EP, which was met with positive local reception, leading to more frequent gigs and continued songwriting. The pair's latest EP, The Ruins, finds Eliot and Borst honing the sounds of those initial songs and incorporating percussion and pedal steel guitar from Sam Watts and Steve Norman, respectively. Out of the three tracks on The Ruins, "Iron Boat" shows off the band's finest qualities across an entrancing five minutes. Eliot's reedy vocals spell out a cautionary tale that crawls along with Borst's rich harmonies in a way that highlights the impressive precision that syncs the lyrics with its haunting musical accompaniment. "Iron Boat" more than lives up to its title, evoking a strange yet memorable image of something creeping in, creating a persistent sense of overshadowing that lingers on long after the song ends.

Planes On Paper begin a short Washington tour tonight in Yakima, and will finish out the month supporting Shelby Earl at Seattle's Columbia City Theatre on January 30th. Get tickets and more info on that 21+ show here, keep up with the band at their Facebook and website. Below, watch the band play their 2013 track "Day Alone".