Greek mythology hasn’t been particularly kind to Eurydice. Her husband Orpheus gets the legendary musical talent, the heroic journey into the Underworld and the unforgettable tragedy. Eurydice spends much of the story waiting for someone else to decide her fate. British Columbia singer-songwriter Clara Cloud has a few questions about that arrangement. Her new album ‘As Above’, arriving October 23, 2026, alongside a companion novella, retells the ancient myth from Eurydice’s perspective, giving one of mythology’s most famous supporting characters an opportunity to take control of her own story.
It’s an ambitious undertaking for an artist who describes herself as a “fairy songstress,” although the combination of folklore, atmospheric music and elaborate storytelling fits comfortably within Cloud’s creative world. Blending alternative pop, folk, Celtic influences and cinematic textures, ‘As Above’ follows Eurydice from the familiar world above into the darkness of the Underworld, exploring love, grief, destiny and the possibility of finding hope in places where mythology traditionally offers very little.
The original story is one of the great heartbreaks of Greek mythology. Orpheus, a musician whose talent can enchant living creatures and even persuade the rulers of the dead, descends into the Underworld to rescue his beloved Eurydice. He’s allowed to bring her home under one condition: he must not look back at her until they reach the surface. Naturally, he looks back. Eurydice disappears, and generations of storytellers have spent considerable time examining his grief.
Cloud is interested in the person who disappears.
“Could there be a world in which Eurydice marches herself out of Hell and back into the arms of the one she loves?” she asks.
That question becomes the creative foundation for both the album and its accompanying novella. Written by Cloud, the book follows Eurydice’s transformation from nymph to wife to inhabitant of the Underworld, exploring what happens when the familiar tragedy is experienced through the eyes of the woman at its centre. The music provides another dimension to that journey, translating the story’s emotional and supernatural landscapes into songs.
The combination offers an interesting way to experience the material. A novel can linger over a character’s thoughts, decisions and circumstances, while music can express feelings that resist straightforward explanation. With both forms working together, Cloud is creating a world listeners can explore from different perspectives.
Her previous album, ‘The Woods’, was concerned with reconnecting with childhood wonder and discovering light through difficult experiences. ‘As Above’ ventures into more unsettling territory. Its central characters must confront darkness, uncertainty and the limits of their own control, with Cloud exploring whether accepting those experiences can become part of finding a way forward.
It’s an especially fitting subject for a record inspired by the Underworld. Greek mythology rarely offers its characters simple solutions, and the most interesting interpretations leave room for ambiguity. Eurydice’s story has traditionally been defined by love and loss, but Cloud’s version asks what might happen if she were given greater independence within that familiar narrative.
The album’s sound reflects that ambition. Produced by Sal Verma, Jenna Marie, Charlotte Duggan and Cloud herself, with mastering by Greg Mindorff, the recording draws on several musical traditions to establish its atmospheric setting. Additional vocals come from Tristan “TEEG” Giroux, Cloud’s real-life partner, bringing another personal connection to a project concerned with the complexities of love and partnership.
The relationship between the music and the novella also gives ‘As Above’ a distinctive theatrical quality. The songs follow a narrative journey, but the story’s imagery and emotional atmosphere can stand on their own. A listener can approach the record as a collection of evocative songs or follow its larger exploration of Eurydice’s experiences.
One track has already found an interesting life beyond the album.
“Shadow Song” has been selected through MusiCounts for an educational arrangement as part of the 2027 CBC Music Class Challenge. Cloud is collaborating with composer Hope Salmonson on a version intended for music educators across Canada, with the arrangement scheduled to become available during winter 2026–27.
It’s a particularly appropriate development for a songwriter whose work draws so heavily on storytelling. Students performing “Shadow Song” will encounter music inspired by ancient mythology through a contemporary Canadian artist, creating opportunities to explore both musical interpretation and the stories that influenced the composition.
The educational project also extends Cloud’s work beyond recordings and performances, introducing her songwriting to young musicians who may discover the myth through the song itself.
Originally from Kimberley and now based in British Columbia’s Kootenay region, Cloud has developed an artistic identity shaped by nature, fantasy and the emotional possibilities of storytelling. Her music frequently draws on images of forests, magical landscapes and unfamiliar worlds, finding connections between imaginative settings and recognizable human experiences.
‘As Above’ brings those interests together on a larger scale. The record’s mythological setting provides an opportunity to explore darker emotions, while the companion novella allows Cloud to develop her interpretation of Eurydice in greater detail.
And there’s a certain pleasure in watching an artist revisit a story people have been telling for thousands of years and decide that one of its characters deserves a better deal.
Orpheus has already inspired countless operas, poems, films and songs. His dramatic journey has been examined from practically every imaginable angle. Eurydice, meanwhile, has frequently existed as the object of that journey, the beloved figure whose disappearance gives the story its tragedy.
Cloud’s interpretation suggests that the person waiting in the Underworld might have a few ideas of her own.
‘As Above’ arrives October 23 with its companion novella, inviting listeners and readers to experience the familiar myth through a different imagination. The result is an ambitious creative project from a songwriter interested in the places where music, literature and mythology overlap.
And this time, when the story reaches the Underworld, Eurydice gets to decide where the journey goes next.
