Many people have reached a boiling point. The public discourse is out of hand, people don’t respect one another. There have been many moments over the past 5 years where people I’ve known for a long time feel a bit like strangers or take positions or make statements that are difficult for me to justify. We’re in a world now where it feels like everyone is out to get everyone else. It’s frightening and frustrating and there are days many of us have to (or should) just block it out. I don’t write “political” songs but I do think and write a lot about the repetitive motion we are constantly locked within. When every day already feels the same it’s that much harder when everyone is being an asshole to everyone else.

When I first wrote the music to this one I was picturing a Ray Lamontagne-type of darker acoustic vibe with a little bounce to it. But when I gathered the band to play it, it took a turn to a more traditional rock sound. I think it fits the energy of the lyrics better this way so I’m glad it took this turn. I loved having a guitar solo over an understated rhythm section rather than it being loud all the way through. I was insistent that the rhythm guitar and foundation of every song should be acoustic. But that didn’t mean a song couldn’t take on the energy of something much bigger. I think we did well with that. I also love the eerie vibe of the pedal steel behind the solo section.