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The Retrographer, Issue 105 ("Rockaway")

The Retrographer, Issue 105 ("Rockaway")

August 29, 2023

Announcing “Rockaway”, the third single from my forthcoming album “Country Life in America”

The Retrographer, Issue 105 (August, 2 0 2 3)

Bulletins:

My new album, Country Life in America, is out September 15th, 2023.
Listen to my third single “Rockaway” on any streaming service now.
I’m pressing the album to vinyl, please pre-order that here.
Pre-save the album here.
Follow me on Spotify, Audiomack, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud.

The story of “Rockaway”

I’m so excited today to announce the third single from “Country Life in America”. It’s called “Rockaway”, available to stream everywhere now.

The first time I ever played my songs with anyone was with Paulina Mandeville in November, 2011. I was 22 years old, six months graduated from college, living at home. My life felt like it was transpiring far away from the action. Those were the days of taking the train into the city to see my friends and delaying my return as late as I could.

At that point, Paulina and I had talked about playing music together and trying out a few of the ideas I’d squirreled away onto my phone and laptop. I was nervous; I hadn’t played my music with anybody before. But there couldn’t have been a better person to experiment with. She knew of a rehearsal space in a decrepit catacomb of the Brooklyn Naval Yard where we messed around with some ideas and, toward the end of our jam, recorded a jaunty riff that maybe a scuzzier Beach Boys might like. Or maybe Jonathan Richman. Or maybe the Replacements. Later, we played it in a band we formed with our friends Ian and Andres, who try to ape the Isley Brothers or the Beatles stacking harmonies, and cut loose for a building instrumental section. It was a great closer.

It didn’t find full life until Ian and I were in the studio together recording it. He had written a lead part, but threw his guitar through an old 70s mu-tron distortion that transformed it from a line into a neon cartoon snake. Then I realized what an adventure this song needed to become. The instrumental had to be like a toy box magically given life, with each instrument combining into bricolage, colorful and distinct and animated. Andrew added a twinkling 12-string electric guitar; Matt Lipkins added a variety pack of synths; Jason Burger dug into his treasure chest of percussion instruments and pulled out shakers, bongos, claves, and his tambourine “Ron”. With one ping of his finger cymbal, he seemed to cast the spell that transformed the song from its familiar convention into another realm. I imagined the story of the velveteen rabbit: The toy made real by a boy’s love, and who is only released into the real world when he isn’t needed anymore. It’s the story of growing up.

Joining the real world was a jostle. I lived at home, couldn’t find full-time work, I felt embarrassed walking into my local coffee shops imagining my classmates’ parents asking what I’m up to, knowing the answer was “sitting in my room, writing songs, submitting online applications, eating wraps, drinking iced coffee”. Yet even though I felt behind all my peers, I could see they were wary of their new lives too. I could see that they had left something behind by stepping beyond, too.

“Country Life in America” is an album about how growing up feels while you’re doing it; it’s like taking the train into the city knowing you’ll have to catch the last one out later. “Rockaway” is about straining to find your way in, straining against the starched collar, straining against the uncertainty of beginning again. Finishing it taught me what it was about: to not be disabused of wonder in the struggle to become.

If you haven’t already, please pre-order the physical LP of “Country Life in America” right here, and check out my first two singles “Talkin’ French” and “Gas Station Bathroom” too.