Music Minute: Simon Stanley - Floating Down the River

 "Floating Down the River," the second single for kids and families from Nashville-based, three-time New Zealand Music Award winner Simon Stanley, is a dreamy trip down a lazy river, a family adventure through lush flora and fauna, and a hard day's splashing around — winding up with two tired kids, tummies full and ready for bed.

Building on the acclaim of his first kids' single, "Marley Sitting on a Pumpkin Seed" (winner of the 2019 New Zealand Music Award for Best Children's Song), Simon's vivid storytelling paints a familiar scene for an intrepid little one. This fun, atypical tune, featuring the mandolin and pedal steel guitar instrumentation familiar to bluegrass and country music lovers, is a celebration of the outdoors — something very much needed after spending so much time shut in!

An avid long distance trail runner and nature lover, Simon Stanley worked to capture the wild beauty and even a bit of the language of New Zealand in "Floating Down the River." The song references a full "puku" ("tummy" in Te Reo Maori) and two New Zealand native birds: Tui and Fantail.

"'Floating Down the River' was conceived after a river trip with my family in New Zealand. I was sitting with my niece, Marley, and spontaneously began singing the refrain," says Simon Stanley. "When I returned to Nashville, lockdown commenced, so I used the time to begin working on the lyrics. The entire song was recorded remotely, with no two musicians in the same space at the same time. With so little music work during Covid, this was a great project. I love how colorful you can be with kids' music. It's like you can use all the paints in your palette and not have to worry about looking silly!"

Born and raised in New Zealand but now based in Nashville, Simon Stanley used his experience as a songwriter and frontman for New Zealand Music Award-Winning, APRA Silver Scroll-nominated Tattletale Saints, alongside his session musician experience with GRAMMY-nominated artists, to craft a song that is as much a treat for young as it is for old. To top it all off, "Floating Down the River" will soon be accompanied by an illustrated storybook and a playful animated video detailing the river trip and sights along the way.

8 Pound Gorilla Records is the inevitable offspring of 800 Pound Gorilla Records, the world’s largest Comedy Record Label. Moving into kids’ and family programming was a natural decision for the company’s founders, Ryan Bitzer and Damion Greiman. Once again, they’ve discovered an under-served genre. There’s a veritable treasure-trove of talented artists around the world making high-quality family-oriented music that remains largely unknown to mainstream audiences. With unique marketing strategies and analytics-driven audience building techniques, 8 Pound Gorilla Records is building a platform for this genre that will bring increased awareness and opportunities for these talented performers. They’re partnering with the best independent kids’ musicians on the planet to help build a community of music and joy for families everywhere.

"Floating Down the River" will be available to stream and purchase on all digital platforms, including iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, and more.

Visit Simon Stanley's website HERE.

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