Artist: Jonni Slater
Single: “Outside”
Album: Between the Shadows (Autumn, 2025)
Label: 79Wave
Genre: Folk, Acoustic, Singer-Songwriter
Scottish troubadour Jonni Slater began his career in indie rock, before transitioning into more intimate, folk-inspired songwriting. His songs explore explore expansive soundscapes, building off of acoustic guitars and piano into compositions of pastoral beauty. His latest single, “Outside”, is a perfect example of this.
The first track from his upcoming album Between the Shadows, the track opens with sparse, lonely guitar chords. This builds a melancholy atmosphere for Slater’s soothing vocals to swim over. Lines like “I would be in control, but I lost concentration” tread water, sitting with us to build meaning, thanks to Slater’s patient delivery. After two minutes into the track, the arrangement builds, with jangly chords and a steady beat that pairs well with Slater’s hopeful vocals and lines “as we walk through the streets, we’re breathing more freely”.
As Slater’s crescendoing repetition of “reminds you your living” brings the track to a lovely denouement, you’ll find your mood lifted and the world seeming a bit brighter than it was before. The power of good songwriting. Check out Jonni Slater‘s track in our Check This 2025 Playlist.
The Indy Review 