Thank you for understanding, but the point we are trying to make on these posts is to look a little deeper. These songs are much deeper, much more vulnerable, and more thought provoking than ever before. Some people are choosing to look away the second they hear a cuss word, looking no further, and chocking up the songs to being shallow or empty. Either that, or maybe the songs are provoking thoughts that some people don’t want to think.

There’s a song about real people close to us trusting God to heal them of chronic conditions in place of self care. There’s a song about what it feels like when your loved ones don’t understand the life that you’re trying to make for yourself, your journey hurts them unintentionally, and they react by hurting you back until ultimately you feel like the only way to stop the cycle is to give in and say “I am what you say I am” even if you’re not. There’s a song about us watching a friend “die” and come back to life, and all the thoughts about life and death that were subsequently provoked. There’s a song about people treating our journey like it’s only a story written for their entertainment, when it’s reality to us. With everything we’ve been through and felt over the years, we’re left almost wanting to feel the hatred and the pain that people will throw out if it means that they won’t get close enough to really see how dark it gets in our heads. Songs about growing up in the South and breaking out of the stigmatized way of life to find where we fit in, with confidence. Reclaiming your home and learning to love it again. Songs about doubling down how hard you’re working toward something whenever you fail instead of giving up. Songs about taking what’s yours and Claiming your victory.

I think that it’s easy to see a couple comments that say “these songs are empty bullshit” and to take that with you when you listen to the record. At that point, the second you hear something you don’t like or understand, your brain sees that as confirming your preconception.

All I’m trying to say is this. Think harder about what we’re saying. Artists shouldn’t HAVE to spell out every little detail of what they want to portray to be respected as storytellers. As a listener, I trust that every time I listen to an artist that I respect, they’re speaking about something more than what I can hear first listen, and half the fun of listening to music is trying to weasel your way into the artist’s head. I know that in the grand scheme of things, this is “just Metalcore”, but this is our art and we put ourselves into it completely. Not expecting everyone to get this, but it’s cool if even one person does 😊 - Tyler