Finding Home on “Union Street”

Seán R. McLaughlin & The Wind-Up Crows’ latest single, Union Street, is a bruised yet beautiful slice of Scottish indie folk that lingers long after its final note. Co-produced with Andy Monaghan of Frightened Rabbit, the track carries that unmistakable blend of grit and tenderness—music that feels both raw and carefully crafted. It’s the kind of song that opens with a sting but soon reveals layers of warmth and reflection.

What begins with the spark of a violent Aberdeen street-corner moment expands into something much more universal: the ache of belonging, the quiet rituals that tether us to a place, and the heavy cost of leaving it behind. The band weaves these themes into a soundscape that feels windswept yet intimate. Acoustic textures meet surging indie rock energy, while Tristan Dolce’s backing vocals add a ghostly counterpoint, like a memory echoing just out of reach.

There’s a cinematic sweep to Union Street, but it never loses its human core. The song feels grounded in real streets and lived experiences, yet its emotional pull stretches far beyond geography. McLaughlin and his bandmates capture that peculiar Scottish knack for making melancholy strangely uplifting, the kind of sadness you want to sit with because it feels true.As a first glimpse into their upcoming second album, Union Street promises a record that will be unflinching, heartfelt, and deeply resonant. It’s a song about home, loss, and resilience—one that doesn’t just tell a story, but carves out a place for you inside it.

https://windupcrows.bandcamp.com/track/union-street