Brighton-based singer-songwriter Ian Roland has always had a gift for finding beauty in simplicity, and his upcoming single “20 Breaths Of Love Per Minute” is a perfect example of that artistry. Set for release on November 14, 2025, the song is a tender, meditative love letter to the natural rhythm of life—rooted in breath, balance, and the quiet connections that bind us to the world around us.
The inspiration behind the song is deceptively simple: the act of breathing. With an average person taking between 15 and 25 breaths per minute, Roland chose twenty as his symbolic rhythm—steady, human, and full of intention. This numerical motif gives the track a subtle pulse, a sense of organic timing that mirrors both the tempo of the heart and the calm flow of air through the lungs. It’s an idea that could feel abstract in another artist’s hands, but Roland turns it into something beautifully tangible—a metaphor for love’s quiet constancy.
Musically, “20 Breaths Of Love Per Minute” is rich with modern vintage charm, a hallmark of Roland’s sound. His voice, warm and sincere, carries the listener through an emotional landscape that feels intimate and expansive at once. The production—handled by Jake Skinner and Roland himself—balances organic instrumentation with clean, contemporary clarity. Recorded at Brighton Road Recording Studios, the track features Roland on vocals and guitar, supported by Dave Coomber on bass, James Chapman on drums, and Mishkin Fitzgerald on piano, keyboards, and backing vocals. The ensemble creates a lush yet restrained atmosphere where every instrument feels essential, breathing in unison with the song’s central theme.
The arrangement is particularly striking in its subtlety. The piano lines shimmer like sunlight through leaves, the bass provides grounding warmth, and the drums move with careful restraint—more heartbeat than backbeat. Roland’s guitar work ties it all together, his strumming pattern gently mirroring the rhythm of breath. The production’s sense of space invites the listener to pause and reflect, much like the song’s message itself.
Lyrically, Roland continues his tradition of heart-strung orchestration and life-drenched storytelling. There’s a poetry in his phrasing that recalls influences like Paul Simon and Nick Drake, while his melodic sensibility and layered harmonies evoke comparisons to Fleet Foxes and Elbow. Yet, despite these touchstones, Roland’s writing remains distinctly his own—grounded in compassion, tinged with melancholy, and deeply human.
At its core, “20 Breaths Of Love Per Minute” is a song about presence—the act of being still enough to feel love, to listen to nature, and to find connection in the smallest moments. It’s a gentle reminder that love doesn’t always arrive in bursts of passion; sometimes, it’s found in the simple rhythm of coexistence.
Critics have described Ian Roland’s work as “captivating, classy, and high-quality,” and this single fully lives up to that reputation. Every note feels intentional, every lyric thoughtfully placed. It’s not just a love song—it’s an invitation to slow down, breathe, and rediscover the beauty in life’s simplest patterns.
With “20 Breaths Of Love Per Minute”, Ian Roland once again proves why he’s one of the most emotionally articulate voices in modern roots pop—a craftsman of melody and meaning who continues to remind us that even in stillness, there’s music.
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