On his third physical solo release, the 3-song single ‘Rebreather‘, Daniel Becker (aka AMID THE OLD WOUNDS) – known as singer and main songwriter in Duct Hearts and Wishes on a Plane – lyrically spans an arch from seeking emotional independence to wanting the warmth of companionship after and in times of isolation. In a way it can be seen as a quest for balance between separation and independence, a balance rarely stable, always demanding constant adaption.
Musically you get what most mid 90s post-hardcore bands would’ve sounded like had electricity been turned off and an acoustic guitar been at hand. Songs stripped to down to their soul, a few guitar strums and picks and a voice trying to put into words what needs to be said. An introvert all by himself, singing to a campfire. Yet, you are invited to sit down and have a drink, knowing whatever it is you are feeling, you are not alone.
Pre-orders for the EP are up now at this location.
For fans of: The New Amsterdams, The Get Up Kids, early Dashboard Confessional, Dustin Kensrue, Jeremy Enigk.
The new EP will be released in May, digitally on Bandcamp, all streaming platforms and 7“ vinyl via time as a color (Germany), Dingleberry Records (Germany), Slow Down Records (Norway) and Rufen Publishings (Japan). Distributed in the EU by Sonic Rendezvous Records come in black vinyl as well as limited clear purple (EU version) and opaque purple with black haze (Japan/Norway exclusive) in a white handstamped disco sleeve with center holes and folded lyrics insert.
Asked about this new new release, Daniel comments: “Basically once I came up with the general artwork and layout idea for ‘vignette’ it was meant to be a series of two consecutive releases, as the true meaning of these two photographs doesn’t really unfold unless you compare both of them. Also this gave me the opportunity to put out a 2×7″ box set without going broke haha”
“At the time ‘vignette‘ went to press the song ‘rebreather‘ had already been 70% written, and I already had the title. Both words, ‘vignette‘ and ‘rebreather‘ represent the idea of sensing something that’s just a fraction of “the real thing”, i.e. air inhaled from a rebreather keeping you alive for a certain amount of time but not being the same thing as fresh air, just like a vignette would show you only part of a picture. Lyrically it is no concept release by any means, just the title songs tie up some basic ideas.”
Continuing on his creative process, Daniel continues: “”Usually when writing songs I have ideas about how I want to release them so once I got a certain amount of music finished that works for that format I strive towards closing that poject. While ‘vignette‘ had two very old songs on the b-side I wanted a strong new song to complement ‘rebreather’, which I happened to write in early 2021. I say “happened to write” because that’s really how it worked on ‘1121’, for some songs you have to work hard, and some others just find you. Sometimes songs write you. It was like that with ‘1121’, just like it had been with ‘vignette’ before. It ended up being short enough so I could add a third short song, based on another very old idea I’ve kept for around 20 years or so. When writing songs sometimes good ideas end up unused because you don’t know how to go on with it, and lately I I’ve come to enjoy leaving them the way they are, almost like a fragment. I enjoy providing third songs to a 7″ in order to give the customer and listener a bit more than what a usual a-side/b-side single would, without compromising sound quality though. I’ve stopped doing 33RPM 7″s at 7 minutes per side, as the sound quality is just horrible. So with 7″s I try to find the middle-way.”
Without intent all songs on ‘rebreather‘ lyrically kind of turned out dealing with self development, and letting go. Sometimes we can get caught up in situations we feel the need to fight through, expecting things to get better after the battle. We can get end up in some sort of hibernation mode, accepting the minimum as the best we can get, and if we can’t reach our goals fighting, the fight turns around, onto ourselves, into ourselves. But sometimes there is no fight to be fought, or no fight to be won, or the fight is not ours. Sometimes we have to let go and trust in other people fighting their battles themselves.
I’m always working on songs but none of them are at a stage where I would strive towards closing them for a record. I also try to not think of planning a release before finishing the former, it helps not to overload myself. Of course there are ideas for different formats, for example I would love to do a flexi disc at some point in the future.
