Crys Matthews shares “Forged In Fire” for No Kings Day
Trailblazer singer-songwriter Crys Matthews has unleashed a must listen to protest song. Called “Forged In Fire”, the track is released on No Kings Day and the single marks her first release with Shamus Records (Woody Guthrie’s Woody at Home, Vol. 1 & 2, Flamy Grant’s CHURCH, and Sam Robbins’ So Much I Still Don’t See).
“Forged In Fire” is an impactful call to action that was written following the second election of the Trump administration. She shares, “The headlines that week were: U.S. Judge Blocks Trump’s Birthright Ban, Allows Class-Action Lawsuit to Proceed; Protesters Confront Feds in Camarillo, CA, as Agents Target Farmworkers; CPJ Calls for Release of Journalist Mario Guevara; Trump Admin Withdraws Head Start Services for Undocumented Children; CUNY Targets Pro-Palestinian Students and Staff in Latest Crackdown; and countless others about everything from tariffs to deadly floods in Texas. While this song was born out of the chaos of a particular week, almost a year later, in the wake of the turmoil this administration’s disdain for democracy has wrought in Minneapolis and in so many other American cities, “Forged In Fire” feels like a rallying cry from those who withstood similar conditions during the Civil Rights movement.”
The song begins with a choir of layered vocals soon ushering in Crys’ soulful voice. Stomping percussion alongside riveting a bassline adds to a production that doesn’t overshine the vocals but enhances them. There is an urgency to the song that mirrors the tension and unrest that inspired it. Crys leans into that urgency without losing clarity, delivering each lyric with conviction and purpose. The arrangement steadily builds, allowing the emotional weight of the track to deepen as it progresses, echoing the persistence required in moments of collective resistance.
Take a listen to “Forged In Fire” now and take to the streets!