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Murmuration - Sam Gracie
“Murmuration” by Sam Gracie (formerly Avid Beats) is an entrancing indie electronic / art pop song and stop motion music video, inspired by the breathtaking phenomenon of murmurations, in which thousands of starlings fly together in synchronised, shape-shifting, formations in the sky.
Three lyrics/phrases are repeated throughout the song, almost like a chant:
“Murmuration
Share love
Share warmth”
Sam Gracie uses murmurations as a metaphor for sharing love and warmth with others, as well as to touch on themes of unity and being stronger together.
One of the reasons starlings move in large flocks is to protect themselves against predators, however they also do so to communicate and keep warm. In these epic congregations, starlings coordinate their speed and direction by listening to their closest six or seven neighbours, with changes in movement creating a ripple effect, due to information being passed from one to another.
The music effortlessly captures this rippling movement - from the delicately quiet and ambient beginning and end, to the luminous and dazzling choruses featuring Sam Gracie’s rich, vibrant and heartfelt vocals and harmonies. He even turned his singing into melodic layers to create the effect of birds calling to one another, and it is the interaction between the many elements that makes this piece so fascinating.
The phenomenon occurs at dusk especially between November and February, and the track features a magical, wintery, landscape of percussive and synthesiser instrumentation, drawing inspiration from the production of Björk’s album “Vespertine”. The Mbira-based arpeggios and chords are the foundation for the piece - these give “Murmuration” a uniquely organic and textured quality. Additionally, Sam Gracie’s own field recorded drum and percussion samples make a strong appearance in the track, including pine cones for shakers and ice shards for hi hats. A recording of birds subtly underlies the track, becoming more prominent at certain points.
The animated video mirrors the dynamic energy of the music. It follows Sam Gracie’s debut under his new alias which was a stop motion video for his May 2026 collaboration with Cece Alaniz, “Can you find me, you, us?”.
For “Murmuration”, watercolour is used to portray the sky and tourmaline gemstone beads to represent the birds, with the varying sizes and colours highlighting closeness and distance. Smaller groups of birds appear in earlier and later sections of the video, while the louder parts of the music are met with larger, faster, and more intense gatherings. As the melodies calm at the end, the birds assemble to write the title, “Murmuration”. As the video fades, the birds suddenly funnel and drop out of the sky to roost, capturing the real-life ending of this evening display.
This multi-faceted single and video flows, dances and soars for an unforgettable and immersive audio-visual experience.
End of an era, start of a new chapter
Sam Gracie, formerly known as Avid Beats
May 2026
Can you find me, you, us?
Sam Gracie x Cece Alaniz
The beautiful mixed-media artwork (watercolour, Conté crayons and charcoal) by Sam’s mother, Alison Gracie, vibrantly captures the two artists and message of the lyrics - Sam and Cece are shown reaching out to one another, “extending themselves”.
About the Project
Sam Gracie joins with Cece Alaniz for their fifth collaboration, "Can you find me, you, us?”, a hauntingly beautiful indie art pop piece which fuses soulful and ambient guitar and synthesiser melodies with alternative R&B rhythms.
The song, which is paired with a captivating stop motion lyric video, reflects on the relationship between the climate crisis, humanity, division and connection across the Earth. The repeated questioning phrases "can you find me”; “can you find you”; and “can you find us” touch on the fragility of connection, which contributes to the increasing risk to the planet year-by-year. These phrases act as an anchor within the song, and reinforce that listening to and empathising with one another, and understanding difference and diversity are crucial to reducing violence alongside reducing damage to nature and the environment.
This release marks Sam’s transition from his alias “Avid Beats” to “Sam Gracie”, with the new identity reflecting his shift from primarily making instrumentals to full production and singing/songwriting.
This deeply resonant song has a fluid and effortless arrangement which lifts the synergy of Sam’s and Cece's voices. The dynamics between the mellow warmth of Sam’s live electric guitar and the brighter and musical brass synthesisers bring the meaning of the piece home, while the two basslines provide a cohesive and fulfilling richness and the smooth drums keep a consistent pacing. The many layers and meticulous attention to detail in the production, including the subtle personally-made field recordings and analogue tape delays, add to the immersive atmosphere.
The accompanying mixed-media stop motion music video, created by Sam Gracie and Alison Gracie, utilises poetic visual metaphors to evoke the layered meanings of the song, creating an emotional and vivid visual tapestry.
Sam's ten-part diary, recording the making of the animation, offers a fascinating insight into the intricate creative process and elaborates on the project’s carefully thought-through message and symbolism.
The spontaneity yet insistence of the track is like waves returning, reminding us gently that there is an important issue that won’t go away without listening.
Behind the scenes.
Biodiversity Day and News Coverage
The release was timed to coincide with the United Nation's International Day for Biological Diversity on 22nd May 2026. This year's theme was "acting locally for global impact".
James Cracknell, editor for the Enfield Dispatch, covered the release on the day:
"Enfield environmental campaigner releases song to raise awareness of biodiversity".
March 2026
Stitch Me Up (Remix Version)
Jorge Natalin x Avid Beats
Listen to the original song, visit Jorge Natalin's website and read more about the song and lyrics on Genius.