Something for the weekend: Them Coulee Boys “I Am Not Sad”

Well that’s it from us for another week dear reader, a week in which it’s been good to see on a couple of occasions that justice is occasionally served. We leave you with the closing track from the forthcoming album “No Fun In The Chrysalis” by Wisconsin folk-rockers Them Coulee Boys. Frontman Soren Staff says of the song: “‘I Am Not Sad‘… captures the theme of accepting change this record focuses on. I’ve struggled with my mental health my whole life, dealing with depression, anxiety, and issues with self-worth. I’ve embraced those issues in my songwriting, hoping to shine a light on things that we all go through from time to time. We have plenty of songs that talk about these issues, but this one is the first that accepts them.

“The song is built around the phrase ‘I am not sad anymore, at least not today.’ It’s a celebration of the happiness in the moment, while acknowledging that there’s times when it’s harder. It’s about being thankful for the good times, and letting them stack up on one another for when the bad times come. It’s a declaration, a moment of catharsis, while knowing that it won’t always be like that.

“Sonically it starts sparsely, with elements of the band being added with each verse, like confidence growing in one’s self as you begin to believe. It’s self-assured, with strummed mandolin and piano a backdrop for growth. When the bridge lyrically introduces the idea that these positive feelings might not last, the musical interlude represents the choice to embrace that realization. An ethereal, almost dream-like backdrop sets up the catharsis of the last verse. When the last verse hits, it invites all the good feelings back for a triumphant jam. It’s loud and snarls in the face of the hard times. It’s meant to soar and it does.”

We second that. Please do support your local Palestine action if you can this weekend. Take care and have a good one.

About Mark Whitfield 2070 Articles
Editor of Americana UK website, the UK's leading home for americana news and reviews since 2001 (when life was simpler, at least for the first 253 days)
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