Against the rhythmic plucking of a banjo, Harper Grae begins “Dying On The Vine” in a reflective mood, recounting how her “granddaddy told me / if you love them, let them go / and if they come back / it was meant to be.” Harper does that, but as she reveals in her new song – premiering here on HollywoodLife – she wonders if she made the right choice. “I will wait forever / if I could live that long,” she sings wistfully towards her unnamed lover. “I want you more than ever / I’m still holding on.” While Harper says she’s been “pretending that she’s fine” since saying goodbye, she’s actually dying on the vine, enduring agony without her better half.
It’s a touching, lovelorn country song that will comfort those going through these similar aches. The airy production amplifies Harper’s voice, giving “Dying On The Vine” a dreamy feel as if we’re in Harper’s thoughts as she turns her gaze towards the one she desires most. Though, if we were, we’d see she doesn’t crave a lover’s caress – but rather, a refill of her empty glass.
“I went into this particular song-write very pregnant, very hot from the heat and very much wanting a glass of wine – I came up with the phrase for the song ‘dying on the vine” because that is what I felt like,” Grae tells HollywoodLife. “So most people will hear this song and think it is about a relationship that was ending but really it is about a very pregnant lady wanting a big glass of wine.”
Wine. Love. Both are intoxicating. Both are good in moderation. And both will get you in trouble if you have too much. Whether it’s chardonnay or a man named Ray who inspired this song, “Dying on the Vine” will be an excellent addition to any country breakup playlists that you put on when your friend needs some loving commiserating during brunch.
“Dying On The Vine,” co-written by Colin Healy and Steven McMorran and produced by Forrest Finn, arrives just as Harper wraps up her tour alongside Billboard chart-topper Josh Kelley. It also marks her first music of 2022 and follows a very prolific year for Harper. In 2021, she released a handful of moving singles – “Caviar and Bars,” the emotional and honest “Still Your Mother,” and “I Think About You.” She was also prolific in the textbook way, welcoming her daughter – and “rainbow baby” — Declan Monroe Gates in late July. With Harper’s bundle of joy soon celebrating her first birthday, and her career continuing its ascent, there are plenty of reasons to pop the cork and drink it all in.