Cast Away deals with loneliness, longing, and despair in an ethereal space punctuated by a cool synthy groove inspired by a wide range of influences.
This song came about slowly by always being a sound we really liked that we kept adding to until it became something that, even when played acoustically, had strong influences from artists including The Police, Peter Gabriel and Dire Straits.
Phil came up with a pattern that was styled on Message in a Bottle and I tried to sing on it, quickly realizing it wasn't the song I thought it was.
The first line of that song is "Just a castaway...", and that became the first lyric of our song, which is pretty cool.
Lyrics came smoothly once we settled on a sense of tone.
It's written as someone, lost and alone, who is searching for true connection by calling out to the universe in frustration between moments of dwelling on past injustices.
Sometimes I would play cajon when we played this live, and it made me settle into a fun, forward groove that reminded me of 80s synthwave or prog rock.
So I started playing around with MIDI sounds and simple drums and came up with a synthy sounding pop rock thing that hasn't changed much since.
Production went well on this one with all the layers complimenting each other beautifully early on.
Sean's guitars really stand out to me, playing around with the rolling groove and talking to the synth to make a laid back, chill, spacey vibe that I absolutely love to sing with.
Cheryl's vocals come in like an echo from far away singing the same song while the dotted guitar accents bounce around playfully with the synth and it makes me feel like I have a beautiful atmosphere for the lead vocal to try to hide in.
This song is my absolute favourite sound we captured on this entire album.
Trivia: "(Until You Come)" was added to the title as a playful innuendo and turned into the final lyric of the song.
During mastering I redid the vocal because it just wasn't quite right.
I recorded and edited all of my own vocals at home for the whole album, but my microphone is not, for lack of a better word, great.
So for this I borrowed a great mic from John, and now I'll be buying a better one because it sounds so much better.
Another lesson learned.
Cast Away (Until You Come)
lyrics
I'm cast away, an island of despair
Pounded by the waves of raw emotion you lay bare.
As I stagger to the brink of madness
And watch you crushing out my soul's remains
Your smoke surrounds me while my life goes up in flames.
All ashen gray, you burned away my pride.
Your brilliant masquerade cast your shadows in plain sight.
Where passion threw me, screaming, toward disaster.
Shattered dreams of your porcelain face
Didn't matter as you watched me fall from grace.
I will run for so long.
And I will call until you come.
It's all been swept away.
There's nothing left but time and this heart's last charade
Beating inside the lies that blind.
No, you will never grieve my sadness.
No, you will never feel my pain.
Know I'll forever slowly go insane.
And I will run for so long.
And I will call until you come.
And I have run for so long.
And I have called, but you won't come.
credits
from Let Me Go,
released March 19, 2024
Written by Jean-Pierre Larda & Phil Short
Vocals/Synth - Jean-Pierre K. Larda
Backing Vocals - Cheryl Ireland
Drums - Aaron Spink
Guitars - Sean Roberts
Bass - Alex Paris
Produced by Jean-Pierre K. Larda
Additional production by John MacLeod
Recorded at Artist Development Studio, Courtice
Engineered and mixed by Alex Paris
Mastered and additional mixing by John MacLeod at Sweet Daddy Sound, Ajax
Rising Philadelphia band balance oversized pop punk hooks with vivid, intimate lyrics, presenting a raw, honest vision of guitar music. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 30, 2022
