Keep It
Easy
How about something new?
My new song “Keep It Easy,” will be out August 1! It’s the first single of a new album, which will be released later this year.
On the surface, this song’s origin is unusual: I got the idea while watching Mac Miller’s NPR Tiny Desk performance. More specifically, while watching the third song of his set, “2009.” But if you know that one, the thematic parallels between the two songs are pretty obvious. The lyrics of “Keep It Easy” even directly reference Mac’s lyrics. Check it out:
Keep It Easy: “I want to be free / Ease my mind and let it shine / You draw the blinds, I’m planting seeds”
2009: “I don't need to lie no more / Nowadays all I do is shine / Take a breath and ease my mind”
Mac is one of my favorite artists. His lyrics have always helped me feel like I can get through anything, no matter how difficult. And at the time, I was going through some truly difficult stuff.
So in the midst of hardship, his Tiny Desk show was a cataclysmic spark that set this song (and much of the album’s thematic assertions) in motion, with “Keep It Easy” becoming the ode to persistence that I personally needed at the time.
Lyrics
I, I want to be free
Ease my mind and let it shine
You draw the blinds, I’m planting seeds
And I know, I know you’re feeling it too
That steady flutter in your heart that
Tells you what to start to do
I know I might not be here for long
I got this feeling, I, I got this feeling that
I’m gonna get what I want
I’m gonna get it, I know I will get it yeah
And keep it easy when it’s said and done
I turned up the heat but went down in flames
I struck out but came back swinging
No more seasons of playing games
I, I want to be free
It’s a series of promises
Not some sentimental fantasy
I know I might not be here for long
I got this feeling, I, I got this feeling that
I’m gonna get what I want
I’m gonna get it, I know I will get it yeah
And keep it easy when it’s said and done
I know I might not be here for long
I got this feeling, I, I got this feeling that
I’m gonna get what I want
I’m gonna get it, I know I will get it yeah
And keep it easy when it’s said and done
Keep it easy, keep, keep it easy
I’ll keep it easy when it’s said and done
The album art
While brainstorming the album art, I wasn’t drawn to any particular style. I only knew that I wanted the visual to be as personal as the songs on the new album are.
At first, I considered an illustrative style, then a studio shot taken by a professional photographer, and then I even weighed trying a self-portrait using oil paints. But none of the ideas stuck.
One night, I was talking to my wife about what I wanted to do and she said I should look into pinhole photography. After only a few minutes of Googling, I knew it was the answer.
If you’re not familiar with pinhole photography, the “camera” is basically just a light-sealed object — usually a box or a coca cola can — with a tiny hole in it. There’s no glass lens. You just remove a cover to let light in and expose the film loaded in the back.
Pinhole cameras require longer exposure times, which create softer, more surreal images. And being able to take a self-portrait matched how intensely personal this album is.
Stills from the music video
It’ll be released at 12 pm EST on August 1.
The last word
If you’ve made it this far, I just want to say thank you. As an email subscriber, you’re already doing more than most when it comes to supporting this project and the music.
Remember to stream “Keep It Easy” when it comes out this Friday, August 1. And if you use Spotify, save it to your liked songs or one of your own playlists! And spread the word!
This is only the beginning!
Love you all,
John