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Not too long ago, Tuskens released a new EP titled “Hung Up On Everything.” In this track by track, Ash and James give an inside look on how each song on the EP came to be. Bokeh Ash: The lyrics for this song were an attempt to do something we’d not done before and that was to rely heavily on metaphors to express the message of the lyrics. The song follows a lot of the same themes that reappear throughout the EP, such as not chasing dreams, or being anxious and undetermined, just approached in a different way to force more creativity. The line ‘empty picture frames are hanging from my ceiling’ represents opportunities that are right in front of you. They represent parts of life yet to be filled. The lyrics took on the shape of metaphors that refer to photography. ‘The shutter’s too slow’ translates to missing those opportunities. I don’t want to give away too much of what it means; read the lyrics and figure out what you think each line means. It gets deep. Vacant James: I feel like Vacant is a great representation of how most of this year has been for me. Lyrically, “Vacant” touches on how easily wrapped up I become in the little things, which creates a foggy state of mind, which leaves me dwelling on matters I feel are beyond my control. I have terrible bad luck in most situations, and the ‘it comes in threes’ line is a complete understatement when it comes to me (it came all at once this time). “Vacant” can also be seen in a different light - I’m not always the grumpy bad luck kid. “Vacant” is also a note to self, a realization that with the bad comes the good. It’s sort of a note to self screaming “you’re better than this!” It’s about taking note and understanding how to overcome the problems that keep you up at night. I decided to write a song about this subject as I feel people my age may go through the same cycle. Night Glow James: “Night Glow” was actually the first song that we sat and wrote a majority of the lyrics and vocal melodies for as a whole band. It has some lines that are of course more personal to a particular member, but it was really cool to bounce ideas off each other, to discuss the meaning of each line and to finalize the lyrics together. Again, it covers themes of relationships, growing and developing as a person, and realizing what you could be doing better, but also realizing the wrong that’s been done to you; that isn’t your fault. The focus lyrically for “Night Glow” moreso than other tracks is asking how and when we as people become who we are supposed to be, or the best version of ourselves (the lines ‘where is the sky before the sunlight’ and ‘where is the future me, I came so close). These lines are filled with desperation and determination to be this person, but also frustration at not quite being there yet. Seismic James: The lyrical theme for “Seismic” sort of loosely follows an intervention type situation, but instead of staging an intervention for someone struggling with drugs or alcohol it’s someone struggling with anxiety and depression. It starts with an admission that there is a problem, an addiction, but in this case the addiction is to certain feelings and behaviors. The lines are split almost like a script, two friends that are trying to help a third friend who is struggling mentally. There is a lot of tough love in the song, a lot of brutal honesty that is needed in order to actually get through the issues. Again, the song covers personal wrongdoing, whether to myself or others, realizing that it is an occurring issue and that family and friends can always help you get back to the person you used to be. It’s written as a message to others that there is help if and when you need it. Snake Eyes Ash: “Snake Eyes” is about admitting wrongdoing, realizing things I’ve done that hurt other people, realizing the chances and risks I’ve taken that have hurt other people, and again learning from those mistakes as opposed to just wallowing in self-pity. “Snake Eyes” also refers to a relationship in which I felt some wrong was done to me but that I also wasn’t perfect myself. This song is also about letting go of things that don’t serve you anymore but knowing that isn’t always the easiest thing to do, causing thoughts to go back and forth. Again, similar to other songs, this track covers the subject of repetition and finally realizing that enough is enough and something needs to be done, that I need to be honest, even if it means hurting someone else. Paint Lines Ash: Similar to “Vacant,” “Paint Lines” carries a lyrical message that talks about struggle and hardship, realizing the parts of yourself and your mind contributing to unnecessary mental struggle. Throughout the EP there are reoccurring themes of anxiety and overthinking, but “Paint Lines” covers the theme of overcoming issues more than any other song. The song name is an attempt to create some imagery in the listener’s mind; it refers to military soldiers painting black lines beneath their eyes. It’s a preparation for war, an act of courage and bravery in the face of personal demons. The song is an acknowledgement that maybe the world isn’t out to get me, and that maybe I can do something about the way I feel if I actually try. Banshee James: This song is about a relationship, obviously. It’s about realizing during the relationship that what you thought was the best thing that’s ever happened actually maybe wasn’t. As this relationship developed, it became clearer that we weren’t the right people for each other (the lyric ‘I’m not carved from your garden). I chose to open up about my doubts in the relationship and was met with misunderstanding. This song helps me deal with what happened and almost convince myself that I did the right thing and that any left over emotions are not directly my fault. I feel that some relationships can become not about the two people involved, but about those two people appearing happy to others. This was one of those relationships; I just chose not to be a part of that (the line ‘a fairytale just minus me’).
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12/20/2017 12:36:48 am
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