River

A.M. Radio Indy’s new song…the universe speaks.

River

Back in early July I had the opportunity to sit on the porch of A.M. Radio Indy's Adam Zoibi and sip some fine Kentucky Bourbon and talk about their new song in progress…River.

At the time, the song wasn't polished…they (Mark Munz–the other half of A.M. Radio Indy) hadn't planned to play it, and I didn't expect to hear it.

Col. E.H. Taylor had other plans.

A lot of the inspiration for Adam's songwriting comes from his travels…River is a classic example.

I asked him where the song came from…where was that born? He said it was born in the foothills of Yellowstone.

"That's where this one started. Montana (song) came out of it…and then I was sitting there watching the water, just, like, watching the Yellowstone River flow. And I was like, oh, there's something here."

Well, then, with a little help from our friends Col. Taylor and Elmer T. Lee, we got to hear a rough cut of River.

I thought, another really great song…Adam and Mark's playing is 'move to Nashville good,' and their vocals effortlessly complement one another and their playing.

And, then…I didn't think that much more about it…until last Sunday night.

I get a text from Adam: 

A: You ready?
S: Always…what's happening?

Then he drops the finished recorded version of "River"…

S: Well, that's timely.
A: It was time…the universe speaks.
S: So good. So prescient.

And if you want to hear what Adam and Mark ultimately did with it…here's the finished version of "River." → https://on.soundcloud.com/n4hTyGEH1q5h6kv1CJ

The theme…river has been on the forefront of all of our minds here in Indianapolis.

The historic flooding of the White River continues to impact Indianapolis and the surrounding area in ways none of us could have imagined.

In Zoibi's song "River," he goes on to paint imagery of the Kentucky River flood of 2025. That flood, too, was historic.

The song puts you right there…water climbing past where anyone thought it could reach, a river doing what rivers aren't supposed to do. And in the same breath, something as ordinary as a barrel of whiskey, swept up and carried off toward the Ohio…the small, human things that get taken along when a river decides to become something else.

It was time…the universe does speak.

The haunting symmetry of the universe…

White River → Wabash → Ohio → Mississippi → Gulf of Mexico
Kentucky River → Ohio → Mississippi → Gulf of Mexico

A river doesn't stop for anyone…it just keeps finding its way home, no matter how far down the line that home turns out to be