When did the initial idea for your latest single come together?
“pennine dream” initially came together after writing my dissertation for university – it was heavily influenced by my research into politics, sociology and philosophy. The lyrics describe modern society, and how it pertains to a person’s sense of self, their confidence and motivation to function effectively within the society.
How would you describe the track, to a reader that is unfamiliar with the band?
It’s a lot more singer-songwriter-y than most of my other songs. There’s a lovely organ forming the backdrop of the track, which I had a lot of fun playing, but it still has the more alternative-rock element to my music, plus a good old guitar solo as the outro.
Can you tell us a bit more about the meaning behind the track?
There’s really a lot to unpack in this song, but I’ll try and keep it brief. The first verse discusses protests, be it of any topic – a thought upon the way that people believe so much within their ideas and that it is so right that they make a stand for it – followed by a break that says that even the most knowledgeable person in the world on a topic, realistically doesn’t know much about everything all at once… the second verse brings it back to a personal standpoint. Solidarity is important, but it’s important for it to be in support of something that benefits all – hence the lyric “I sunder myself upon solidarity”; followed by an afterthought – sometimes the people in solidarity with each other become divided upon other topics, and it turns into “the rabble quickly formed into riot”. The chorus goes into the previously mentioned part of how it pertains to a person’s sense of self – “I am the sum of what each of my qualities deem me to be” meaning that everyone has different skills and qualities and feelings that make everyone different and unique; trying to “keep it cool” in the face of a society that picks people apart and tries to define people in broad standpoints, and not accepting people for who they are.. “does it even matter entirely?”. The final line “I floated in, like an epidemic disease” is a nod to the idea that some people will completely ignore you for a certain idealogy that you have. The third verse is an analysis upon the political philosophy of the past. Is there any use in trying, when “the victors were always the tyrants”? It also makes me think of the idea that all the history books were written by the victors, who would write about their heroic victories and were unlikely to discuss any controversies or tricks they used to get what they want. This is also echoed in the final line “should a man be honoured on his moral achievements or his subtle intentions?”, where you can look at someone’s outward actions that are in the main view, but there may be things that they have done in secret to achieve their aims. In the next break, it plainly and bleakly just says that “every act of hatred is also one of intent”… and the final verse describes how you could stay within the line, you could tread carefully and hold yourself to the traditional standards, but it’s just so boring, so unjust, we’re “underwhelmed by the vision for us all”. (I didn’t keep it brief.)
How would you say that the track compares to anything you’ve done before?
Lyrically, it’s one of the most complex songs – there’s a lot of topics, a lot of thought and feeling to it. Most of my songs are pretty lyrically complex, but this one is way way more. I just think that every line is meant to mean something!
What was the hardest part about putting it together, and why?
Even though this is a really lyrical track – it actually flowed really well, and I came up with it all within a few sittings. I think the hardest part would have been to record it. The guitar solo at the end was the first take too. 6. Why should a reader check out the track? It’s got a nice groove, it’s got a lovely bass and the guitar solo at the end is proper nice. Lyrics too.
https://michaelwebster.bandcamp.com/album/a-northern-perspective https://www.facebook.com/michaelwebstermusic/