Track listing: Wishing

In the tradition of passionate Folk music over the decades, Pompano Beach, Florida band SHIV is making a statement. Founder Joshua Elyashiv, a Marine veteran and the band's songwriter & bassist, sees himself as "a voice for the voiceless, advocating for human rights and animal rights." His memoir, Privilege Lost, details a number of his experiences and helps explain the music that SHIV creates.

Wishin' on a star for the end of war. It's the same old thing as it was before. You set the world on fire and blame it on the poor.

The group's latest single, "Wishing," is a veritable musical plea for peace. Embodying influences of Neil Young and Tracy Chapman, SHIV addresses the issues head-on: global divisiveness, losing sight of humanity amidst disagreement, and the senselessness that is the waste of human lives in war.

Acoustic-guitar based, the mid-tempo song is a gut punch. Nothing fancy about it. The musicianship is solid, the melody ideally suited for singing along, and by the last vocal refrains you can here the tremble in the singer's voice. Hell yeah, it's sad. Devastating, even. 10 out of 10 songwriters who write about atrocities and anger wish that there were other muses that warranted their attention. But Elyashiv knows what he wants to do, knows what he has to do. Without songs, speeches, marches, and civil unrest when it comes to stopping the war machine, it will absolutely forge ahead full speed.

"Wishing" was release in March 2024 and is available on all major streaming services. Visit shivband.com to sign up for the band's email list and to follow them on all social platforms.