DUALITY:

I WROTE THIS SONG THE NIGHT BEFORE THE GRANDMOTHER PASSED AWAY. MY GRANDMA AND I HAD A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP AND I WAS STRUGGLING WITH THE IDEA OF SAYING GOODBYE TO SOMEONE I’VE KNOWN MY WHOLE LIFE. THE SONG IS WRITTEN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF MY FATHER, AND DIVES INTO THE CONCEPT OF LIFE’S DUALITY. BEING RAISED AND NURTURED BY SOMEONE, UNTIL IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO NURTURE THEM AS THEY REACH THE END OF THEIR TIME ON EARTH. THE LINE, “SOMETIMES WHEN I MISS YOU I IMAGINE THAT YOU’RE THINKING OF ME WHILE IT’S RAINING ALL NIGHT” IS MEANT TO CONVEY THAT FEELING OF GRIEF AND BATTLING WITH THE UNKNOWN OF LIFE AFTER DEATH.

JUNE:

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS OFF THE PROJECT. IT WAS CREATED A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE ALBUM WAS BEING SEQUENCED, AND ADDED AN INCREDIBLE ENERGY TO THE BODY OF WORK. WE WENT INTO THAT NIGHT’S SESSION ATTEMPTING TO MAKE MORE OF AN INDIE-ROCK VIBE THAN WE’D BEEN MAKING PREVIOUSLY; THE SONG TOOK A WHILE TO MATERIALIZE AND SUDDENLY, AN HOUR OR SO INTO THE PROCESS, EVERYTHING STARTED FLOWING. THE REFRAIN “I MISS THOSE DAYS, BEFORE THEY EVER GO AWAY,” CAPTURED THE CONCEPT OF PREEMPTIVE NOSTALGIA PERFECTLY, AND ENDED UP BEING PART OF THE INSPIRATION FOR THE WHOLE PROJECT.

MY PEOPLE:

THIS IS PROBABLY MY PERSONAL FAVORITE. I WROTE THE SONG DURING A PERIOD I WAS FEELING LOW, AND IT WAS VERY THERAPEUTIC FOR ME. FROM THE AGE OF 17 TO 20, I LOST FOUR VERY INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN MY LIFE; THIS SONG DIVES INTO THAT TIME PERIOD AND THE DIFFICULTIES OF DEALING WITH LOSS WHILE TRYING TO JUGGLE COLLEGE, PERSONAL LIFE AND ALL THE NUANCES THAT COME WITH ENTERING ADULTHOOD. THE FINAL REFRAIN OF THE SONG, “HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE FOR YOUR PEOPLE,” ALMOST FELT LIKE A MOMENT OF TALKING TO MYSELF. IT BECAME A TURNING POINT FOR MY OWN JOURNEY, AND WAS THE START OF FINDING JOY IN THE LITTLE THINGS AROUND ME.

STANDING STILL INTERLUDE:

I WROTE THE DIALOGUE FOR THIS INTERLUDE ON THE FINAL NIGHT OF MIXING AND SEQUENCING THE ALBUM. THE IDEA WAS SPARKED FROM A RANDOM STRING OF CONSCIOUSNESS I WROTE OUT EARLY IN THE MORNING ONE DAY A FEW MONTHS BACK. I WAS THINKING ABOUT MY YOUNGER DAYS, AND HOW MY DAD ALWAYS HAD AN ANSWER FOR THE QUESTIONS I’D ASK; I USED TO WISH I COULD HAVE THAT SAME KNOWLEDGE. I DOVE BACK INTO THIS IDEA AND FELT THAT IT TIED INTO THE CONCEPT OF GROWING UP TOO FAST AND FLEETING BEAUTY IN A VERY COHESIVE WAY. MAX AND GIBBY HELPED TO FLESH OUT THE SONIC SIDE OF MATCHING THAT ENERGY, AND THE INTERLUDE WAS BORN!

FEELS LIKE HOME:

THIS SONG WAS CREATED IN APRIL OF 2025, AND WAS A TON OF FUN TO CREATE. I FELT LIKE WE HADN’T MADE MANY UP TEMPO RECORDS AND WANTED TO DIVE INTO THE HOUSE WORLD. THE PROCESS WAS A LENGTHY AND UNORTHODOX ONE; WE ORIGINALLY CREATED MORE OF A SOUL SONG AND DIDN’T LOVE IT, SO WE SAMPLED IT TO CREATE A SECOND SONG. THE SECOND SONG WAS SOUNDING A BIT COUNTRY, SO WE SAMPLED THE SECOND SONG AND CREATED THE VERSION YOU HEAR NOW. THIS SONG IS AN ODE TO THE TECHNO SOUNDSCAPE OF BOULDER AND THE HOUSE PARTY DAYS OF COLLEGE.

ELEVENELEVEN:

THE OUTRO ENDED UP BEING THE LAST SONG CREATED FOR THIS ALBUM. AT THE TIME, WE WERE FINISHING SEQUENCING THE PROJECT, AND MY PEOPLE WAS THE LAST SONG. GIBBY, MAX AND I DECIDED WE SHOULD STEP AWAY FROM WHAT WE JUST SEQUENCED, AND CREATE A DEMO FOR FUN, WITH THE INTENT OF GOING BACK TO LISTEN TO THE FULL ALBUM WITH FRESH EARS. WE ENDED UP MAKING ELEVENELEVEN, AND LOVED IT SO MUCH WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE THE PERFECT WAY TO END THE PROJECT. I WAS BORN AT 11:11 AM, AND HAVE ALWAYS FELT A SPECIAL CONNECTION WITH THE NUMBER; SINCE THE VHS INTRO AUDIO IS TAKEN FROM MY SECOND BIRTHDAY, IT FELT LIKE A FITTING WAY TO TIE EVERYTHING TOGETHER.

VOICE MEMOS:

I REACHED OUT TO A FEW FRIENDS AND ASKED THEM TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, “WHAT IS BEAUTY TO YOU?” I WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THE RESPONSES. MY FRIEND EDDY GAVE THE FIRST ANSWER, AND TALKED ABOUT APPRECIATING THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE AND THE TIME YOU GET TO SPEND WITH THEM; IT FELT LIKE THE PERFECT WAY TO INTRODUCE DUALITY, WHICH TALKED ABOUT THE LOSS OF MY GRANDMA. THE VOICE AFTER JUNE IS MY FRIEND GALOP, WHO LIVES IN CITE SOLEIL, HAITI. HE WROTE A POEM ABOUT HIS SON AND THE LOVE HE HOLDS FOR HIM. THE FINAL VOICE OF THE ALBUM IS FROM DREW, THE YOUNGER SISTER OF MY LATE MANAGER JACK NATHAN. THEY HAVE BECOME LIKE A SECOND FAMILY TO ME, AND ARE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT I WOULDN’T BE HERE TODAY IF IT WEREN’T FOR THEIR LOVE AND GENEROSITY. DREW WAS FORCED TO DEAL WITH THE UNIMAGINABLE PAIN OF LOSING A BROTHER, AND TO HEAR SUCH A ELOQUENT AND SELFLESS ANSWER FROM HER ON WHAT BEAUTY MEANS BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES, AND FELT LIKE THE PERFECT ENDING TO THIS ALBUM.