I am writing this as i listen to the album, to try and convey what i feel when i hear it back, in an attempt to articulate the meaning. Tricky, and hope I do it justice. I’ll try to not edit post, so it’s an accurate representation.
Drowned in Night - this one will likely always be a mystery. I wrote it late at night, hammered. The chorus is my resounding theme of feeling like an imposter everywhere i go. Not sure if you have faced this, but it plagues me. Getting better as i get old. The guitar solo on this song came out pretty good. The mix is solid. I love this part haha. The tone is actually a blend of my nice Vox tube amp and revamped through a shitty Crate. Funny how that works.
I use some overt pitch correction on this record. It’s fun. Treating the voice like another instrument that you can fuck up. The outro on Drowned is big. i wanted to add some more drum parts on this album. Love good drumming, makes a record. Stoked on the groove on this track. Big outro.
Old Friend
This song is sort of about quitting drinking, but also a little more reflective. Whether the old friend is liquor itself or me when I drank or the symbolic nature of giving up anything after 20+ years i will leave with you the listener/reader. I know this song is a slight departure from most of my material. This is extremely important to me - to evolve, move forward or at least around. Listen to the drum machine break in the before the second verse in big headphones sometimes - it’s fun. It “takes a lap” - all the way around your dome. The way the beat slightly flips on the second verse really gives it a new sense of movement. In said big headphones you get a lot of cool panning and vocal harmonies you might not hear on speakers. I like the line about drunk me having tantrums, i really did. I was a very fun drunk but every now and then i’d have little fits. Put a bass player through a van window back in the day, got sucker punched in the jaw by my lead guitar player as well (love you Stew). I deserved it. The drum groove on this song has a proper amount of swing to it, and this song taught me a lot about playing bass guitar.
Long December
This is my favorite song on the record. It’s short, simple and the lyrics are stream of consciousness style “poetry” that is my preferred method for writing. Most of my work i go back and clean up and rearrange so it’s a little more sensical for the listener. I took a little liberty on this one, it’s poetic and weird and chaotic. It always give me a sense of foreboding when i listen to it, but in a good way haha. So what it about? What isn’t it about? With a line like “Lying is an art, like telling kids there’s nothing to fear after dark” how can you lose?
Fuck Grey
Hahah, this song i wrote in NYC high as balls, sitting cross legged on my bed with a laptop and bluetooth microphone. I brought the tracks back to the barn and got weird, but never touched the original takes (meaning didn’t redo). I actually really like the beat and vibe of the song - people are gonna talk shit about it or get up in it, but fuck em. This is my record. I’ll do whatever i want.
Restless
Fuck yeah, a title track. Another stream of consciousness song, lyrically. I’m in love with the groove on this song, my brother called it my dance song, which maybe it is. Someone asked me if the line about the dishwasher was a metaphor, and i don’t actually think it is. I just really hate unloading the dishwasher and that line popped into my head and I knew i had to write it down. What will we do when all is said and done? Will we curl up and die or fuck all and have some fun? Don’t give us your which, i’ve always found a way to keep believing. I know i’m supposed to teach you manners, but i’d rather teach you to throw a punch. World won’t give a shit which side of the plate your fork is on.” What
Make
Big finish. I love this song. It’s the best production and most triumphant on the album. I love fast music, so this one was fun to write and record. The bass line is really stretching my abilities as a bass player. The song goes from the very micro level of my insecurities, to the macro theme of all of our insecurities. It’s a leap, but as the listener you just need to trust me. I dig in to some social commentary on the second verse, and get to use “Porn Bot” in a line. “We don’t seem to have a way to stop this all from coming, so we log in and pay to play to keep that monster running.”
Thank you for listening, and reading and supporting. If you felt something while reading this or listening, i’ve done my job.
Nick