Single & Video Premiere: Eli Gardiner, “Justice Is a River”
The outspoken Minnesota-based singer-songwriter delivers a new song that contemplates what we want and need in dangerous times. Hear it here first!
Eli Gardiner. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Eli Gardiner has never been shy about speaking his mind in songs.
Whether it’s decrying gun violence, calling out the hypocrisy of politicians or protesting tyranny, you don’t have to dig deep into the Michigan-raised, Minnesota based singer-songwriter’s canon to find frank explorations of injustice and other problems that plague our current society.
Gardiner’s latest self-produced single, “Justice Is a River,” adds to that already rich catalogue of protest songs. It drops this Tuesday, June 3, 2025, but we’re honored to present its exclusive premiere today!
Eli Gardiner’s “Justice Is a River” single artwork.
The song announces its intention from the very first lines: “Will the love save us? From our meaningless greed?” From there it explores the disorienting feeling of being both spectator and participant in our current national crisis, of contemplating a murky future, knowing only that there’s nascent power in today’s youth and that those in power now will grow old and die.
“This song is about questions,” Gardiner says. “I think a lot of people are looking for answers, looking for empathy, looking for justice. A few months back, I jotted down that first line and it stayed in my head all day. The next week I recorded it.”
The instrumentation is simple—acoustic guitar, percussion and harmonica—and drops back while Gardiner is singing so only guitar and voice are in the foreground. Everything pauses at the end of each verse, a moment of silence to contemplate the questions, cutting observations and sometimes hints of hopeful affirmation. Then the instruments kick back in, a brief interlude that leads us to the next verse.
During the lockdown stages of the pandemic, artists were writing songs, capturing a snapshot of our world (physical and mental) in a nearly unprecedented crisis. Gardiner’s new single hits the same way. We’re in deep and dire peril right now—as a country, as a society, as a species, as a planet—we see “the outline of our demise,” as the song puts it. We don’t know what state the world will be in when we’re looking back on this moment. But the answer to Gardiner’s questions will be clear, one way or another.
The accompanying music video for “Justice Is a River” illustrates the spirit of Gardiner’s loose, ongoing project that aims to capture the freshness of creativity as it happens. A string of songs will be released (this is the second in the series) whenever Gardiner feels they’re ready to share. “I plan on putting out all my new material shortly after I record, mix and master. Maybe because I have a short attention span or because it’s very satisfying to not have to wait to release new music. Whatever the reason, new songs will be released as they are recorded. Most likely to become an album down the line.”
Watch & listen to “Justice Is a River” now!
You can see Eli Gardiner with a full band on May 29th at Treedome in Rochester MN! There’s a $10 cover at the door, which opens at 6:30pm. The music starts at 7pm with Luke Hendrickson and Jeremey Jewell. More information here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carol Roth. Photo credit: Dan Lee.
Adventures in Americana co-founder Carol Roth is a novelist who publishes both under her name and the pseudonym T.A. Berkeley in a range of genres, from horror to thriller to YA. She loves to play guitar, sing and occasionally write songs. Her wide-ranging passions also include vegan cooking, personal finance, watching queer romance TV/movies and learning to speak Thai. By day she’s a marketing writer/brand strategist.
