Here, you can read about the tracks on the new album, as well as the artist/band inspiration that went into writing them.
“The Stars Below“
Shortly after the release of Diaspora (right after Christmas), I wanted to get a jump start on the next album. I knew I’d be leaning in more of a pop direction, and I decided since it was a new year, and a new start, I’d write a song about two people on New Years Eve, drifting through the refuse (human and otherwise) they encountered.
INFLUENCED BY: David J
“Alt.Med.Love.Sick”
Inspired by a bout of insomnia, and an assortment of insipid late night infomercials for psychics, preachers, cures-they-don’t-want-you-to-know-about, and other insipid garbage. Framed around a man who wants to get over an unrequited crush.
INFLUENCED BY: Elvis Costello, Modern English
“Escape”
This one’s pretty simple – a person who feels an instant connection with someone (one he hopes is mutual), and there attempts to act on it.
INFLUENCED BY: INXS
“The Death of Me”
This one isn’t about literal death, but the death of thinking about yourself in terms of ONLY yourself – that point in love when you think about things in terms of you and your partner. It’s a scary moment, but uplifting as well.
INFLUENCED BY: Leonard Cohen
“Woke up to a World on Fire”
The title of this one came to me when smoke from the wildfires engulfing the western half of the US as well as parts of Manitoba blew into my city, giving the sun a blood red color, and making everything smell of soot and destruction. “It’s like I woke up to a world on fire,” I thought to myself – then realized that would make a great song title. So I used it as such.
INFLUENCED BY: Chris Isaac
“Baryogenesis as a Metaphor“
For those who don’t know, baryogenesis is the (hypothetical) process that led to the imbalance of matter and anti-matter in the early moments of the universe. And I used the theory to write a break-up song.
INFLUENCED BY: The Lightning Seeds
“You and I”
A song about a person, who loves a person, who loves a different person, but the first two feel trapped and neither is willing to make the moves needed to end the situation. Yeah, cheery stuff.
INFLUENCED BY: Barenaked Ladies
“So Far Away”
This one started out as a joke love song I (drunkenly) told a friend I was going to write about her. But I really like the song structure, so I wrote an actual love song instead, about the pain of distance and lonliness it causes.
INFLUENCED BY: Everly Brothers, the Righteous Brothers, various heartache songs
“Shine Your Little Light”
A sweet little song about finding that person who leads you out of the darkness and into the light.
INFLUENCED BY: I’ll get back to you for this one. Nothing really comes to mind.
“Waiting, Wanting”
A song about giving into passion (or lust, if that’s your thing), after a long-term longing for the person you’ve connected with, and the waves of euphoria that accompany that connection.
INFLUENCED BY: Peter Murphy
“In My Worst Season”
Not a traditional love song, but a song about friendship. A song for the person (or if you’re lucky, people) that bring joy to your life, that make the dark times bearable and the good times great. For the people who always leave you with a smile on your face.
INFLUENCED BY: U2 (Joshua Tree era)
“There is a Place”
A gospel song for music – for those of us who don’t find solace in religion, or “spirituality,” music is the closest thing to church we have. And it doesn’t give a damn what you believe in, it’ll reach you just the same. It doesn’t care what kind of music you do or don’t like, it’ll still try to connect with you.
INFLUENCED BY: Every artist I’ve ever enjoyed listening too over the years.