Building upon years of writing, teaching, and performing music rooted in connection and observation, London, Ontario–based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Marty Kolls releases her latest single. “Waves” is a calm and meditative folk-pop single that draws from the natural rhythms of water to explore struggle, surrender, and emotional grounding. Gentle yet resonant, the track reflects on the ebb and flow of life, offering a quiet space for reflection and release.

Inspired by time spent along Lake Huron, “Waves” emerged from Marty’s deep, lifelong connection to water. “Whether observing water from the vastness of the ocean or a ripple in a pond, it has been the root of inspiration for me for much of my life,” she explains. “Its stillness can anchor me while its waves can cleanse me.” That duality sits at the heart of the song, where moments of calm and motion coexist, mirroring the emotional cycles we move through.

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?
The story of the song comes from two places.  One is a melody that came to me as I was waking up one morning and I wanted to quickly record on my phone before it disappeared. While the lyrics came to me as I was walking along the beach in Grand Bend Ontario. I have always been in awe of the movement of water. How it ebbs and flows, how it can wear away rock, and how it can be so calming and mesmerizing. When I put the lyrics to the melody I had written, the ebb and flow, or rise and fall of the melody line fit well with the lyrics I had written. 

2.What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
I often take pictures or videos of water, and since the creation of the song, I thought taking my own personal shots would go nicely with the images of water moving in many different places and forms.  Since 2022 I have been collecting images of water on my phone and I was able to put them to the music.

3.What was the process of making this video?The process of making this video was something that I had running in my mind for some time.  I was thinking about how different lyrics of the song would go ideally with different visuals, like the trickling of a creek or a slow pan on a moment of reflection.  I was lucky to have enough in my collection to play with. I also wanted to make sure to have the lyrics subtitled, so the text and movement of the water could be enjoyed without necessarily hearing the music, or to help engage the listener further with the text in front of them.