Gwyneth Moreland Bids Adieu To Lost Love On “The California Zephyr”

Updated:

March 8, 2017 11:59 am

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It takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry, Bob Dylan once said.

But for California folkie Gwyneth Moreland, it takes a train to send that final, defiant kiss-off to a withering love.

Moreland’s song “The California Zephyr,” which appears on her forthcoming album Cider, was inspired by a voyage she took on the train of that same name in 2008, when she was on the eve of a break-up.

“It was a real 3000-mile trip, and it was amazing,” Moreland says. “Days and days on a train, stopping off to visit friends — just me and my Discman (yeah, that’s right). What was I listening to in those days? The Carter Family, Hank Williams, Guy Clark, Buck Owens, and Loretta Lynn. I was also discovering new female artists such as Feist, Regina Spektor, and Nellie McKay. I also knew a breakup was bound to happen with my then-boyfriend when I got back home to Mendocino, California.

I had some very basic guitar skills at that point, but I was beginning to learn how simple melody and lyrics could get across complicated emotions. The song “The California Zephyr” is now a favorite of mine to play. It’s always fun to watch toes tapping along. I think a good song should be like a train. You should be able to easily hop up, sit down and take the journey.”

Below, watch the video for “The California Zephyr, which was filmed by Bay Area photographer Jay Blakesberg. Cider drops April 21 via Blue Rose Music.