Award-winning folk-blues duo Ferris & Sylvester release a collection of five songs that ‘got them through’ after life-threatening pregnancy complications led to the early arrival of their son, Lucky.

The EP 'Songs That Saw Us Through' is available to stream from Friday 14th November.

The husband-and-wife band, made up of Issy Ferris and Archie Sylvester, are raising funds and awareness for pregnancy and baby charity Tommy’s, and want to show other affected families there is ‘life after premature birth’.

Any donation, large or small, will make a difference and be much appreciate.

You can read more about Tommy's and the incredible work they do here - https://www.tommys.org

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I was 32 weeks pregnant (8 weeks until my due date) when we flew to Nashville in September 2022. We’d been touring our debut album all summer, we announced my pregnancy on The Avalon Stage at Glastonbury. I had a happy and healthy dream of a pregnancy. We flew to Nashville for a 4-day trip to play our last shows of the summer.

On day 3 of the trip, Archie and I went to the emergency room after a night of heavy vomiting. I was quickly diagnosed with Severe Pre-Eclampsia and was told to prepare for our baby to be born, very soon and on American soil.

I asked if my baby and I would survive. Expecting a definite ‘Yes’, the doctor said seriously, ‘We’ll do our best’. My body had gone into organ failure. Archie made the calls to our family. Shows were cancelled. Life had changed.

I was stabilised with a magnesium drip and was transferred to Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown in Nashville, where they have an amazing Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). We waited to see if my condition would improve. After a couple of days, it was clear my situation wasn’t stabilising. We were told our baby would be delivered the following morning.

Our son, Lucky Ferris Sylvester, was born on the 19th September, weighing just over 4lbs. He spent 19 days in the NICU, learning to breathe and feed on his own. He was the most tiny and perfect little baby. We were apart after the birth. I missed the first day of his life. Recovery was hard, I had little strength in those first few days. But whenever I could, Archie would wheel me down to the NICU to see Lucky. You’d think an intensive care unit would have been a very hard place to be. But for us, it was where we had some of the best moments of our lives, thanks to the unimaginable kindness from the nurses and doctors. It’s where we got to know our son.

We got married ten days after Lucky was born. The hospital chaplain, Chelsea performed the service in Centennial Park. We had our families there and we visited Lucky in the NICU in our glad-rags. Our wedding breakfast was fried chicken. It was the most perfect day.

When Lucky and I came out of hospital, we spent another four weeks out in Nashville, living in a studio above a garage just off 12th South. We flew home with Lucky weighing 6lbs on an emergency passport. Our 4-day trip ended up being two months. We had our baby, and we were home. Life could resume.

Over 3 years on, I sit here in full health, with Lucky and his baby sister, Dusty. We have toured, released an album and recorded another. It worked out for us and we are so grateful. Trauma of any kind is complex, however. It quietly grows its roots until suddenly, you can hardly move, even years after the danger has passed. We navigate this everyday. For this reason, we are especially proud to be working with Tommy’s to provide much needed support for families who are going through something similar, along with the groundbreaking research that they carry out.

We hope the new music can help and comfort you, whatever journey you are on. Music can save people. We are sending you love and strength,

Issy and Archie