Premiere: Erin Lunsford Finds Perspective And Perseverance While “Crossing Belvidere”
Living at the brink of exhaustion is our society’s norm these days. With that comes a flood of unseen consequences. Constant connection yields loneliness, productivity drains the spark of creativity, and an endless flood of content leaves us starved for meaning and genuine joy. At this peak of overload, emotions begin to blur. Not in a manic rush, but in a slow, repressed spill, each bleeding into the next while yearning for release. And when something goes wrong in life, that release is inevitable, whether the event is big or small, personal or grand.
“Crossing Belvidere,” the new single from Erin Lunsford, captures this precarious mood, turning the turmoil of a simple car mishap into a poignant reflection on the minor setbacks of life that intersect with deeper tragedies and profound losses. It plays on the visceral frustration of momentary inconveniences within a world full of enduring injustices, turning a lament of bad luck into a soulful meditation on resilience, perspective, and the pursuit of purpose. Importantly, the song doesn’t minimize the intensity of the moment. Instead, it situates these feelings within a larger context, allowing for a deserved release while recognizing that the weight of the moment extends far beyond any single aggravation.
Set for release on Friday, October 17th, this song exhibits the best artistic expression, helping to find insight and guidance in moments where all doesn’t seem loss, but feels irrevocably broken. With delicate instrumentation and Lunsford’s evocative vocals, it reshapes personal misfortune into universal reflection, offering a sense of forward momentum despite life’s obstacles. Today, The Auricular is proud to premiere this sublime track ahead of its official release with an exclusive stream below and a closer look at its familiar inspiration.
“Crossing Belvidere” was born from a literal and figurative breakdown for Erin Lunsford, arriving at a moment when she had planned to be immersed in the joy of creating a new song in the studio. “Five minutes into my drive [to the studio], I hit a pothole so big that it broke the axle of my car,” Lunsford recalled, recounting the incident that set everything in motion. What should have been a day spent bringing the music in her head to life instead unfolded in conversations with repair shops and understanding friends, rides in tow trucks and borrowed cars, and a careful effort not to spiral out of control. “I don’t think I’m alone in feeling like the world is caving in whenever car troubles arise,” Lunsford said, highlighting how the frustrating mix of unexpected expenses and everyday disruptions can challenge even the most unshakable person’s patience and composure.
Amid all this were multiple crossings of the Belvidere Bridge over the James River, from the first trip that ended in disaster and a tow to the mechanic to a hurried drive to a gig, and finally, a somber ride home at the end of the day. “Every time I crossed the river that day, I felt totally gutted about my car situation and my finances and my career,” Lunsford said. “I’m an indie musician and I use that car to make my gigs and rehearsals happen. My car is arguably my most important instrument.” The song’s central lyric captures this devastation in a clever yet simple rhyme: “Crossing Belvidere\ I used to love it here.”
Despite the feeling of defeat and ruin, Lunsford still found perspective in the moment, recognizing all the larger issues at play within the world. “The genocide in Gaza had started just the week before and the news was so awful,” Lunsford said. “My troubles were small.” But even small troubles have a way of branching out, which she noted by the physical entity at the root of it all: the car. “[My Grandaddy] had just passed away a couple months before and he helped me buy that car in 2015,” she said. “I’ve tried to take care of it and keep it clean just in case he ever saw the inside of it.”
For some, the biggest comfort after losing a relative comes from physical items, tangible reminders that hold a connection to a person. Clothing, furniture, photos. Some may be sturdier than others, but none of them are ever unbreakable, and with their wear and tear comes the feeling of loss all over again, no matter how long it’s been. When it comes to something larger than that, like something used daily, such as a vehicle, it reflects a deeper loss and disappointment, even if the person tied to it wouldn’t necessarily share the same sentiment. “I know he would have said something comforting and reassured me that it’s just a hunk of metal and my safety is the most important thing,” Lunsford said.”
Reassurance was exactly what Lunsford needed in that moment, as the experience went beyond the frustration of a financial and personal setback to touch on a professional crisis of faith. “I have been chasing this dream of being a musician for 13 years now,” Lunsford reflected, proud yet fully aware of how elusive that dream can be and how grueling its pursuit. That tension reverberates throughout “Crossing Belvidere,” anchoring itself firmly to the personal loss at the heart of the song. The chorus captures the aching truth of her journey, acknowledging that despite all this effort, she remains closer to the start than the finish. (“Back before all the years I wasted\ Trying to be your star\ Now all I have to my name is this broken car“).
Lunsford navigates these emotions with remarkable grace in the music, giving each room to exist without diminishing its weight or significance. The arrangement begins simply with acoustic guitar and vocals, gradually layering supplemental parts like violin and vocal harmonies. By the time the full instrumentation swells, it becomes an enveloping sound of perseverance, a comforting embrace as well as a gentle push, one needed to keep moving forward despite the growing obstacles ahead. Verses are written with a wry sentimentality, at times reflecting a cautionary tale (“Be careful if the waters high\ The James won’t hesitate to take you out“) and other times aptly observing the current predicament (“Problems in the mirror\ Are closer than they appear“). Vocally, Lunsford is emotionally brilliant as ever, moving prudently from somber tones in the opening to soaring frenzy in the song’s worldly bridge and then finally to poised conviction in its final chorus, capturing the emotions of a whirlwind day all under three minutes.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of the song is its quiet thread of gratitude, a theme that runs through all of Lunsford’s 2025 singles so far. Though it appears briefly in an early verse (“On borrowed time in a borrowed car\ Thankful for my friends that keep me high“), the song’s progression truly unifies the message. As additional layers of instrumentation and harmonies build around her, Lunsford’s perspective and composure deepen, emphasizing that she is never alone in the world. This foundation gives the final chorus its soaring, triumphant lift, transforming what could have been a sardonic recounting of a simple accident into a heartfelt reflection on communal understanding and personal reassurance.
Viewing it this way, the titular bridge becomes not just a backdrop for the song, but a symbol of the journey Lunsford must continue: the relentless pursuit of her professional ambitions and the fulfillment of personal desires. Looking further, the bridge even becomes a testament to endurance, a quality she must summon to see those pursuits through. “I don’t plan to stop, but sometimes potholes will try to slow you down,” she said. Yet even in those moments of pause, Lunsford finds the drive to keep moving, fortifying herself for a bolder push forward and setting the stage for more compelling and sensational tracks like “Crossing Belvidere.”
“Crossing Belvidere” is out everywhere on Friday, October 16th. You can catch Erin Lunsford in concert next at Plan 9 Music on Wednesday, October 22nd for a free showcase presented by The Auricular, as well as on Saturday, October 25th at Mulberry Sessions.
To stay up-to-date on future releases and announcements from Erin Lunsford, be sure to bookmark her website and follow her on social media, as well as her band, Erin & The Wildfire.
