CAUTION:
This song is about ignoring good advice and trusting your instincts. Don’t try this at home.
ORIGIN STORY:
I was staying with my cousin in NYC. Brooklyn, more specifically, as the song title might suggest. Gowanus, to be exact, not too far from the park. It was a strange summer, heavy with breakups and Brexit — I wrote a song about that, too, you may remember. Yet while one chapter was closing, another was promising to begin. I have to say it has felt good, in the not so Happy New Year of 2022, to remember that moment. That moment of excitement and travel and romance and recklessness. Optimism against all odds.
DISCLAIMER(S):
As you might have surmised from the subject matter, though I lazily refer to it as a new song, this song is not new. Some of you might even have heard it at a show along the way. I have a handful of songs that fall into this category — not yet recorded — but still floating around. It’s unusual for me, but reassuring. If I haven’t killed it off by now, maybe it will stand the test of time? I tend to cringe, listening to past releases, wishing I’d just changed that one line, or sung that high note differently… maybe this way I can iron out my neuroses before committing it to tape. Let it evolve, understand what it wants to be. It’s already had a few different haircuts.
Having said that, I hope it becomes a new song again when it eventually enters the studio. When it’s treated to a rhythm section and crunchy harmonies. When the music gives it wings. Don’t get me wrong, I’m the biggest fan of stripped back voice and guitar. But what I’ve recorded here is purposefully demo-y. One take, no edits. Think of it as a sketch in preparation for an oil painting.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH:
It felt momentarily shocking to me that I was recording something on a Thursday to send out on Sunday. So quick! So raw! So intimate! Then I remembered live shows. Remember those? When you sing, in real time, in front of people? Thank you for being my virtual audience in these isolated times. Feel free to leave some claps or comments, share on your socials or invite some friends to next Sunday’s show. I’ll work on my stage banter.
Prospect Park, a song.