Garrett Anthony Rice Explores Folklore and Loss on Haunting New Single “In The Darkness With The Spirit Of The Lake (A Family Tragedy)”

Garrett Anthony Rice has returned with a chilling new single, “In The Darkness With The Spirit Of The Lake (A Family Tragedy),” the latest addition to his forthcoming double album Equinox. The track unfolds at Blessington Lake in County Wicklow, Ireland, telling the story of a young boy who drowns while confronted by the Púca, an ancient spirit said to dwell beneath the water. Drawing on Irish folklore and the darkly enchanting setting of the Poulaphouca Reservoir, the song combines myth, memory, and a sense of inevitable surrender.

The composition moves with the still, unsettling calm of deep water at night. A delicate melody drifts across the surface, carrying listeners into a serene but subtly ominous space. The lyrics trace a quiet surrender that gradually tilts into darkness. Rice allows the tension to build slowly, giving listeners the time to settle into the story before pulling them under. The result is a sense of immersion in the narrative, as if the listener themselves is approaching the lake’s edge.

As the voice of the Púca emerges, the song becomes more intimate and more unsettling. This is not the lake speaking but the spirit beneath it, addressing the boy as if the ending has already been written. The entity’s presence is both otherworldly and familiar, haunting yet patient. Rice’s interpretation avoids dramatic horror and instead focuses on subtle psychological tension. He constructs a space in which the story’s tragic progression feels inevitable and quietly oppressive.

The final movement of the track conveys a calm finality. “Finality comes quietly, which is exactly why it stays,” Rice explains. The song’s structure thins out, leaving only the faint pulse of the water and the lingering sense of the unseen spirit. Listeners are left with the impression that the water has not yet finished choosing its next story, as if the lake itself is still deciding who it will claim next. In this way, the single not only stands on its own but also widens the scope of Equinox, connecting the themes of longing, danger, and surrender found in earlier singles to a more folkloric and elemental dimension.

Hailing from County Dublin, Ireland, and living in Greystones, County Wicklow, with his family for the past twenty years, Garrett Anthony Rice has set out to make a global impact with his music. Equinox is his first double album and the second record in his musical history. With eighteen carefully selected tracks from thirty demos recorded across the UK and Ireland in 2024, the album has already impressed music professionals who have called it one of the most ambitious and accomplished Irish releases in recent memory.

Rice previously released his debut album under the alias (i) CONSULT in October 2023. That album, Reflections Part II, the very best of……, streamed in ninety-three countries and drew the attention of UK producer Chris Potter, known for his work with The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, U2, and The Verve. The first single from Equinox, “My Sons,” released on February 28, 2025, was written for Mrs. Peggy Gallagher, mother of Liam and Noel Gallagher of OASIS, while the brothers were still estranged. The track showcased Rice’s ability to intertwine personal emotion with broader musical themes.

Following that, Rice released “Property (An Ode To Roger Syd Barrett, a genius, 1946-infinity),” a tribute to the late Pink Floyd member, reframing Barrett as a brilliant songwriter rather than an artist to be pitied. Each single from Equinox continues to build a narrative thread of intimacy, artistry, and reflection, culminating in the haunting folklore of “In The Darkness With The Spirit Of The Lake (A Family Tragedy).”

Equinox will be available to pre-save closer to its release on vinyl and all streaming platforms. The album promises to solidify Garrett Anthony Rice’s position as a significant voice in contemporary Irish music, blending myth, emotion, and the quiet power of storytelling through sound.