Gina Furtado Project drops "Submarine"

"The idea for this song was not mine," Furtado said. "A gentleman approached me after a show and insisted that I should write a song about the scarcity of women submarine sailors. I thought it was a bizarre idea, but it lingered in the back of my mind. Eventually, I did a late night, insomnia-driven Google search on the topic and discovered that women were not allowed on submarines in the US Navy until 2010."

"Now, I may not know anything about submarines" she said, "but as a girl who was raised with starkly defined gender roles that almost never suited my personality and interests, I do know a thing or two about having dreams that are off limits for no reason besides not being a boy. True to bluegrass form in just one small way, this is the saddest song I've ever written, but with the happiest sounding tune."

The Gina Furtado Project — Furtado on banjo, sisters Malia and Lu Furtado on fiddle and bass respectively and guitarist Drew Matulich, with producer Kristin Scott Benson's husband Wayne Benson guesting on mandolin — offer a lilting, melodic song reminiscent of children's songs.

The chorus includes the lines:
"So don't ask me, 'cause I've never seen
The world beneath the blue
But I can imagine, that it must be heaven
To look out a submarine window"

Furtado, known for her work as the banjo player for Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, was born and raised in Front Royal, Va. She began touring up and down the east coast in her tween years with her siblings. She later played in a number of regional acts before making her international touring debut with Chris Jones and the Night Drivers soon after joining the group in 2016.

She eventually left and formed her own band. While touring, she is joined by Drew Matulich on guitar and her sisters Malia Furtado, on violin and Lu Furtado on bass.