Comprising longtime friends and musical colleagues Mark Tomorsky and Tommy Johnsmiller, Foundry Town Survivors are particularly gifted when it comes to writing songs that examine the lives of the working people: all their anguish, fears of the unknown, and bleak, industrial landscapes. With their latest release, ‘Three Sisters’, this Michigan duo take a look at a different Michigan experience, the nautical identity of the Great Lakes, and the phenomenon of the “Three Sisters” – one which no one would want to encounter.
As Foundry Town Survivors explain in text at the start of the music video, “Three Sisters” is the maritime colloquialism for when three large waves appear in rapid succession, posing significant danger to both ships and those offshore. While the shipwreck they sing about may be fictional, the fear is no less real. They re-imagine a haunting sea shanty, evoking the waves crashing down on the ship, each element of the track feeling like elements of the storm itself, with slide guitar, crashing drums, soaring harmonies and background vocals all bringing a brooding, and woeful vibe to the song. The “Three Sisters” are brought to life, joining their hands as they wreak their havoc on the steamship; all the sailors can do is brace and hope and pray.
The music video brings the story of the song to life, with Tomorsky and Johnsmiller serving as narrators, telling the tale from the future. Led by their heroic captain, the sailors are just trying to make a living, fighting against the spirit and power of Mother Nature and all she brings. Meanwhile the Three Sisters have other plans, and all the ship’s crew can do is watch helplessly as their ship – and they themselves – are swallowed up by the huge waves. The devastation is complete, with scattered metal and other wreckage strewn across the shore.
Watch the music video for ‘Three Sisters’ below, and find out more about Foundry Town Survivors and their music online on their official website, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
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