Setting the tone with layered guitar and strumstick dulcimer, Yana opens Funeral of Life with a enigmatic energy and the melancholic lyrics, “We gather here today to mourn the life we had, carefully constructed, perfectly planned, gone in a blink of an eye…”
The opus expands into an acoustic, indie-folk energy as Yana shares her sorrow and accepts the loss of life with the powerful words and a sense of optimism, “Times will change, you gotta change along…”
We appreciate the haunting depth that Yana creates with and the organic nature of the song, which has mild tempo shifts in line with the artist’s raw emotion. Funeral of Life is inspired by and written during lockdown, the song sees Yana play a twelve string guitar and Daryl Ball adds an oriental vibe with a strumstick dulcimer.
The song is about adapting to changes and everything life throws in your way. Yana comments, “Lockdowns were tough for everybody, the creative industry suffered immensely yet the situation made us reflect and not take even the smallest things for granted. The title may sound like a desperately sad piece. Quite the opposite. I hope its message will inspire the listeners. There are things in life we cannot predict but even the worst times don’t last forever.”
Yana is a Czech Republic native who has “an Irish heart”. This comes through in her soundscape and the instrumentation used on Funeral of Life. We learn that having established herself on the singer/songwriter scene by writing profound lyrics wrapped in atmospheric melodies, she released her debut EP Distant Shore in 2020. Yana has also worked with Liam Ó Maonlaí (Hothouse Flowers) and Colm Mac Con Iomaire (The Frames).
We have added Funeral of Life to our New Music Spotlight, whilst we continue to stream Yana‘s wider discography including Distant Shore and Reach Out.