Rising alternative folk artist Maria Deirisarri debuts on our blog in a team up with Corey Kilgannon. It’s called Parabellum.

By Graeme Smith

Tracked live in a single take, there’s an immediate sense of intimacy in Parabellum. Whispered voices, haunting refrains and strummed guitars create atmosphere and draw the listener in before Deirisarri’s first verse pours on some storytelling detail. The lyrics are rich with natural imagery, and Kilgannon’s harmonies provide some depth. A call and response chorus sticks with you before roles are reversed for the second verse.

“There are some songs that come to you out of nowhere, when in reality, you’ve been working towards writing them your entire life,” says Deirisarri, “Parabellum is one of those songs for me.”

The track is the final single from her upcoming EP, Si Vis Pacem. Both the EP’s and single’s titles are taken from the Latin phrase si vis pacem, para bellum which translates into English as: “if you want peace, prepare for war.” Fans of the John Wick film series will recognise it as its central motif, something Deirisarri also had in mind when creating the song.

Parabellum is out now and you can give it a listen below.