Have Nots

This is “Dead Man” from our upcoming record “Proud.”  It’s one of my favorite tracks from the album.  Last summer, we went on tour with Dropkick Murphys for a week totally last minute, and Jon couldn’t do the tour due to some inescapable obligations.  We came home from the tour, and he brought this song into the first practice afterwards.  Everybody wins.

As soon as Jon played it for us, I heard Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros.  I’d like to think we captured that spirit, while still giving the song our own vibe.  We had some fun with the recording, fucking around with background vocals and guitar overdubs and such, probably a result of smoking too much marijuana with Mr. Drastic in Nashville. 

Stephen Egerton knocked the mix out of the park in my opinion.  Although it was embarrassing how much editing it took to get our handclaps on point. 

Anywho, hopefully you have fun listening to it.  We had fun making it. 

“Farewell Show”

The waves of acute sadness were hued by ambivalent bliss, and of all of the things the madness I
missed. I just need a change so pay no mind; it’s a life lesson that learned in time in your life, and in
mine.

I feel alright and thats a lie, you are my years you are my strife, I got to go, I got to go. With all the time
that’s passing by, you’d think I’d find the words but I have got to go and play the farewell show.

The past three days saw shades of grey, and I can’t say I sought to drink them away. Should I feel sorry,
filled with sorrow, overcome with aching pain? Countdown to regret, a sure bet when your grass is
always greener. Well maybe this time I’ll survive.

Expectations I had, were buried and now they’re back. In a cold cramped room well I guess they tend to
do that. I just need a change, so pay no mind; it’s a life lesson that’s learned in time in your life, pay me
no mind.

Nothing left now to remember, a one way ticket now null and voided, together, its more than nothing, sitting
here thinking stuck on strumming.

“The Brink”

War is hell, and I’m not about to claim that I have any comprehension as to what extent this is true. But when I heard that in January of 2009, the number of KIA that were a result of the opposition, in Iraq, were FEWER, than the amount of combined friendly and suicidal American deaths, I had some Idea, to what extent, war - is - hell. And moreover, that we seemingly don’t give a fuck.  

The men and women of our armed forces have been taken advantage of. They deserve a more competent hierarchy, whose supposed “intelligence” of the “enemy” doesn’t result in fucking “smart” bombs falling on US battalions. They deserve a support system that listens and acts accordingly to the anguish of losing one’s best friend. Sure, war is what they signed up for; this is not up for debate. But to think that our militaries incompetence and apparent disregard for our soldier’s well-being has led to such figures, is completely fucked.

So, what’s the Brink about? Well, I guess the long and short of it is this: The Brink points to the other side of the wartime news headline, where the selflessness of our soldiers is seemingly forgotten, and the humanity that’s shared amongst us, is lost in the smoke and mirrors, of war-time agendas.

We must keep sight of this, in order to progress towards their EARNED, and DESERVED, treatment.

-Matt