But today brings their Bon-Iver collabs “Flood” and “Glow.”
Saleh has announced Of Earth & Wires, out May 15, a record exploring home, dislocation, humanity, and renewal, shaped while filming Sex Education in Wales. The new album promises to deconstruct indie, R&B and electronic pop with flashes of Sudanese folk, UK dance and baile funk, sounds intrinsic to their story.
“Flood” started with Justin Vernon freestyling a hook, and watching his cathartic process pushed Saleh to confront parts of their past they hadn’t fully faced. The track became an allegory for “staying afloat rather than drowning in grief, shaped in part by memories of climate-related flooding in Cardiff.” In an earlier interview with Glamcult, she also touched upon her preoccupance with our environment, stating “I want our love for earth to live beyond our destruction of her.”
“Glow” came together during the same unplanned sessions. At the time, the world felt noisy and unsettled—war unfolding in Sudan, AI accelerating, distance from family sharpening. Saleh found themself thinking about where they belonged. “I was just kind of ruminating on where I could find my place as an artist amongst the terrain of AI, and I was lonely and overwhelmed. I missed my mom and my siblings; I felt like I was losing my accent being there, just questioning the notion of home on many levels.”
From there, Saleh began loosely weaving an album with collaborators from Minnesota, where they grew up. The image of land overtaken by wires came to symbolize that tension, reflecting a world shaped by unchecked technological proliferation. For now, “Flood” and “Glow” offer an early glimpse into the emotional terrain of Of Earth & Wires. If they’re any indication, Saleh’s next chapter is one to look forward to. But if you can’t wait in the meantime, go check out her performance on GlamcultTV <3
Image by Braden Lee
