You may be wondering what a Convinced Friend is – and it’s a good question that Austin Wilson made some sense of on the debut self-titled album by the band he fronts: here were a set of songs that looked into making sense of faith and commitment. Things that require some element of being convinced that you’ve made the right call. The new album On Fire has a different focus, embodying thoughts of physical change in the places that formed you – Austin Wilson might be Providence based, but he hasn’t forgotten his roots in Houma, Louisiana and the people he grew up alongside, the people he left behind. It’s something he wants to make sense of, as he says “in some ways, I feel like I somehow got… I don’t want to say spared, that feels too strong, but – I got out and other people didn’t, and I don’t exactly know why.”
And today’s song taken from the new album pushes right into those thoughts and feelings, as Wilson adds: “On Fire explores that lingering friction between loving where you come from and needing to leave it. Sonically, it captures the raw chemistry of the band at its best, and I think that dynamic has given these songs much sharper edges as a result. We wanted the rhythm to feel as restless as the lyrics themselves – like a long drive trying to outrun yourself – and we indulged our inner Crazy Horse with the blown-out guitars. I’m grateful to Ella Boissanault (Lady Pills) for lending her voice to the track, adding an expansive layer that pushes the song into wider skies.”
