Premiere: Shenendoah Thompson concedes things are ‘Easier Said Than Done’
Indie-rock newcomer tries to shake the weight of heartbreak with his new song.
There are few experiences as universal as heartbreak. It’s the kind of soul-collapsing ache that you likely can’t shake. Time is the only solvent, used to scrub away the past into blurry graffiti art with faded, milky coloring. The tears swallow the barriers like a flash flood to a river dam, and we get lost in a new kind of vicious cycle, often turning to various vices to hide the pain away for safe keeping. Indie-rock artisan Shenendoah Thompson finds himself at a crossroads with his new song “Easier Said Than Done,” a lo-fi contemplation at the sloshed bar top. “I’m making up for lost time / Seems everything that gets lost is mine / My mind’s in the gutter, so I’m thinking that another drink would suit me just fine,” he wields as he downs another shot, a toxin acting as a medication, and deceivingly so.
No matter how many drinks, sending his vision into a nearly catatonic state, the sores on his heart continue to swell until they bust. “Never had a heartbreak, saying isn’t that great / ‘Cause the pain won’t shake it aches, and you can never abate / This feeling’s reeling outta control / I had a dream you were a very old soul / But you didn’t even know you never let it show, just watched it as my hand let go,” he continues piecing together the aftermath, fires consuming him and leaving nothing but a vestige of his former self. Guitar wraps around the melody, and Thompson’s voice culls together a sobering intimacy with a theatrical soar, allowing the very nature of his broken heart to find some kind of relief amidst the stars above.
On the song, premiering today, he tells B-Sides & Badlands, “My songs change their meaning to me over time, and this one is no different. I look forward to its evolution over time and learning what truths it still keeps secret.”
“Easier Said Than Done” (out this week) is not only an unapologetic confession but a manifesto. He allows himself to feel whatever he’s going to feel, but he won’t stay down for long. It’s a transitory moment in his life, and even by the song’s airy fade-out, he knows it just might be time to pick up the shards of sorrow and leave the bar for good.
Listen below:
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