Following on from the folk-rock of previous single ‘All the While’, we are delighted to premiere Cole Scheifele’s latest video, ‘Back Then’. This time around, Scheifele’s approach offers a hushed intimacy and the spare arrangement draws attention to the honest lyrics and his warm, sonorous voice. The message is direct and straightforward, well-served by the stripped back acoustic approach – just guitar and vocals. The simplicity of the performance video reinforces the impression that Scheifele is in the room with the listener, having a heart-to-heart conversation and laying bare his vulnerabilities.
The song explores the need to find peace within yourself by avoiding getting stuck and developing a growth mindset. Scheifele explains: “I wanted this song to really embody the feelings of being stuck, and of being in your own way, but it’s also the planting of the seed that it doesn’t have to be that way. To me, this song is about feeling stuck by our emotional patterns and by our own definitions of who we have been in the past. At the very end of the song there is the realization that the character feels like he will never mend from his heartbreak but he had already felt that way before and made it through. The realisation that we aren’t who we were is one that allows us to heal and grow and I think this song, for me, shows someone who is just starting to recognise that you don’t have to be trapped by your past self, and that is a really freeing thought.” Ultimately, the key idea in the end is that you can change and, so, ‘Back Then’ is a hopeful song about moving forward.
There’s an honest authenticity in both the song and Scheifele’s playing. He says: “I didn’t slave over the lyrics on this one like I normally do. I wasn’t trying to be cryptic or digging really deep into a creative well. I just sort of went with what the song was telling me which was really simple, and honest, and I love that about it.”
‘Back Then’ is the second single from Cole Scheifele’s upcoming album ‘The Hideaways’, which we can look forward to in the summer. On the strength of this melody and vocal performance, the full-length record from the Colorado singer-songwriter will be one to watch out for.
