Doves – Saint Teresa

Doves are in a moment of transition, but they’re not letting that slow them down. With their new album Constellations For The Lonely slightly delayed, they’ve delivered Saint Teresa, a track shaped by time, revision, and an unexpected deep dive into religious history.

The song’s inspiration? A late-night internet search led Goodwin to the story of Teresa of Ávila, a 16th-century Spanish nun whose body was exhumed multiple times, with relics scattered across Europe. That eerie and fascinating history becomes the backdrop for Saint Teresa, where Goodwin’s voice glides over guitar lines, recounting the strange journey of the saint’s remains: “Her fingers are in Avila / Her jawbone is in Rome / Saint Teresa / With your body in different places / You truly are withosavia adsut a home.”

Doves didn’t rush this one. They let it sit, revisited it, tweaked it, and ultimately found its true form with co-producer Dan Austin. “Sometimes songs can be like a Rubik’s Cube,” Jez Williams reflects. “You play with it, leave it, and come back when you finally know what to do with it.”

Though Goodwin’s personal faith may have faded, the imagery and drama of Catholicism linger in his artistry. “They put on a really good show,” he muses. That theatricality comes through in Saint Teresa, where history and emotion intertwine, much like the themes of Constellations For The Lonely, out February 28 via EMI North.