We first wrote about Amid the Old Wounds back in 2022, calling attention to the way Daniel Becker translated mid-90s post-hardcore spirit into bare acoustic confessionals. Two years later, he’s still carving through the same emotional terrain—but the air feels heavier now, more resigned than searching.
The new self-released EP, out today across streaming and as a CD, doesn’t fight for resolution. It accepts what can’t be changed and spends its time instead on framing the scars. Thematically, the release leans into the quiet fallout of unmet expectations, the slow detachment from people we once tried to hold close, and the painful clarity that not every story has to be finished by us. There’s an ache throughout, but not bitterness. A kind of softened realism, articulated in fragments.
Daniel describes the idea behind the EP format: “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 project.” That method feeds into the economy of the 7” form—not just because of duration, but because of what’s left unsaid. There’s no fat here, and even the strongest emotional punches don’t feel indulgent.
The opener, there is not, and now we know, builds around a rare hook. Daniel notes, “I rarely write catchy guitar hooks, so when I came up with this one I initially thought it would be nice for the hook to be some kind of chorus that was just instrumental, no vocals.” That idea shifted as the track developed, though the final version keeps the vocal harmonies in the background—echoes rather than declarations. It’s about realizing some things can’t be forced into existence, but that doesn’t excuse inaction. There’s a tension between futility and responsibility that runs beneath the chords.
A new lyric video for “there is not, and now we know” premieres today alongside the EP release, offering a visual extension of the track’s core tension. It’s embedded just beneath the chords, so to speak—quiet, restrained, and deeply human.
The video’s minimal aesthetic mirrors the song’s themes, reinforcing the sense that what’s unsaid often speaks loudest.
porridge as a keepsake opens a cappella—just a voice dropping in without warning. That decision sets the tone for a song that isn’t hiding. Thematically, it picks up where the first track left off, but with a bit more peace. “We are who we are, we can still evolve, be more open, be a little braver next time,” Daniel says. It’s not a big resolution. Just a quiet promise to try again.
The third track, blank canvas, is harder to pin down. “It started out by witnessing a person who seemed overly open about certain aspects of their personality, but very closed up about others,” Daniel explains. At first, the song tried to peer past the armor. But then the perspective shifted—why assume there’s something behind it? Maybe the shell is the person. “We are both art and artist,” he reflects, “meaning everything we show and don’t show… is part of who we are.” The song’s emotional weight sits in that realization: people don’t need decoding. They just need seeing.
hanami closes the record with a final quiet sigh. “Some people may not be part of our lives… if those people are not interested or ready to be found, there’s nothing we can do about it, except accept,” Daniel says. The image of hanami—cherry blossoms, fleeting and untouchable—feels like the right metaphor for these songs. There’s beauty, yes, but also impermanence, and the refusal of closure. No one’s owed a role in someone else’s life.
Though Amid the Old Wounds has grown since Rebreather, the heart remains the same: acoustic songs stripped to bone, small recordings with large emotional range, and a voice that doesn’t plead, just confesses. Those who’ve followed the project will recognize the continued thread. And those arriving now, on May 30th, might find something they didn’t know they needed.
