Great news for fantasy television and indie music fans alike: Fiona Apple has released a new Tolkien-inspired song that will appear in next week’s Season 1 finale of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.”
The song is inspired by a poem written by J.R.R. Tolkien that appears in the original books. The music was written by Bear McCreary, who composed all of the music for the Prime Video series, and performed by Apple.
“The musical legacy of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ brings to mind ethereal vocals carrying lyrical melodies over evocative harmonies, so it was my natural inclination to compose such a song for ‘The Rings of Power,'” McCreary wrote in an Instagram post announcing the song. “Inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic Ring-verse Poem, I wrote the song ‘Where the Shadows Lie’ as a theme for the titular Rings of Power, for the magic of Mithril, for the sinister machinations of Sauron, and for his land of Mordor.”
He continued: “To embody these story elements into one voice is no small task, and so I am especially grateful to have collaborated with legendary singer Fiona Apple. Inarguably one of the definitive musical voices of her generation, Fiona brought new depths and narrative intention to the song. I have been inspired by Fiona’s musicality for two decades, and I could not imagine an artist better suited to bring to life the mystery, majesty, and power of this song, and iconic text.”
Apple has been enjoying a creative renaissance over the past several years. Her 2020 album “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” earned rave reviews from music critics and received two Grammy awards for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rock Performance. The album, her first collection of new songs since 2012’s “The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do,” was five years in the making. She also notably played piano on Bob Dylan’s 2020 album “Rough and Rowdy Ways.”
The Season 1 finale of “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” will begin streaming on Prime Video on Friday, October 14. Listen to “Where Shadows Lie” below.
The song is inspired by a poem written by J.R.R. Tolkien that appears in the original books. The music was written by Bear McCreary, who composed all of the music for the Prime Video series, and performed by Apple.
“The musical legacy of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ brings to mind ethereal vocals carrying lyrical melodies over evocative harmonies, so it was my natural inclination to compose such a song for ‘The Rings of Power,'” McCreary wrote in an Instagram post announcing the song. “Inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic Ring-verse Poem, I wrote the song ‘Where the Shadows Lie’ as a theme for the titular Rings of Power, for the magic of Mithril, for the sinister machinations of Sauron, and for his land of Mordor.”
He continued: “To embody these story elements into one voice is no small task, and so I am especially grateful to have collaborated with legendary singer Fiona Apple. Inarguably one of the definitive musical voices of her generation, Fiona brought new depths and narrative intention to the song. I have been inspired by Fiona’s musicality for two decades, and I could not imagine an artist better suited to bring to life the mystery, majesty, and power of this song, and iconic text.”
Apple has been enjoying a creative renaissance over the past several years. Her 2020 album “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” earned rave reviews from music critics and received two Grammy awards for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rock Performance. The album, her first collection of new songs since 2012’s “The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do,” was five years in the making. She also notably played piano on Bob Dylan’s 2020 album “Rough and Rowdy Ways.”
The Season 1 finale of “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” will begin streaming on Prime Video on Friday, October 14. Listen to “Where Shadows Lie” below.