Erased Tapes has just released the second single from the forthcoming Allred & Broderick album, due out April 7th. Though I don’t like to pick favorites, ‘Hey Stranger’ is a song that David wrote which always seems to get under my skin. When we were practicing and preparing to the record the album, this song in particular would send chills up my spine when we played it. Perhaps it has something to do with what the song is about . . . here are David’s own words about the song:
‘Hey Stranger’ is about an old friend that I will refer to as J, who disappeared about 5 years ago. J was a close friend throughout most of my life but was also one of the most perplexing individuals I’ve ever known. He had a very off-beat relationship with his family and most friends due to his intense personality which inevitably deteriorated his relationship with almost everyone he crossed paths with. J would also occasionally get into trouble with the law and was very often misunderstood. He has no online presence or any clear existing indication that he’s still out there in the world which is the most unsettling feeling for me, but for some reason over the past year I have been getting the idea that J will pop up on the street at any moment when I least expect it and I can’t quite articulate why I feel this might happen all the sudden or what I would say if that was ever the case. Despite my last few interactions with J being quite challenging and dramatic, I still often appreciate his overall influence on me. He was a very unique character in my life and incredibly intelligent beyond his years, and heavily influential on who I am today. Of all the people that have come and gone in my life, the memories I have of J somehow stuck with me more than most of the other people that I’m no longer in touch with even if my relationship with them was more stable. J’s lasting yet perplexing impact on me has recently been growing more prevalent in my life even though I mostly felt the complete opposite when he was actually a part of my life. I felt a strong prompting to write this song in an attempt to make peace with this unresolved situation.
It’s a truly lover song Peter. Such a listen again time after time and the strings have an almost pulling effect playing away in my mind to get another listen when back home.
J sounds familiar. I also have a friend whom will somehow always be my best even though at times in my life and his we are better off not being around each other. I guess that’s it, some people we just connect with and wonder about and as we get older the likelihood that they may no longer be here gets closer. I guess we need different personalities and influences to build our own standpoint and ethics. Good times when younger are hard to forget though. Album pre-ordered!