In our trek through the We Made Ourselves a Home When We Didn't Know, we thought we might tackle some of the harder things first. In the coming weeks, we are going to breaking down these songs we wrote and thought suitable for public consumption, and maybe figure out why we thought that in the first place. There will be a couple missing in this series, as we've already covered "Baggage" (boy have we!) with an accompanying music video. As have we with "Tiny Moses," and "Take Me With You" (which we loved so much, this is its second appearance-- the first on our Cardboard and Christmas Lights EP). But in breaking down this record, we thought it fitting to start with a song about breaking down (or, breaking up).
This song started in Brookings, SD, where we found ourselves camped in the city park, an abundance of mosquitoes and a little bit of quiet to collect our thoughts and catch up on booking. We'd just spent time in Minneapolis, a flurry of friends and late nights and catching up. A couple of these friends are our mutual friends. Mutual with Mallory's first husband sort of mutual. And while these topics are generally avoided with occasional long pauses or deep breaths, the dance of past relationships gets wearisome. Especially when that dance is taking place in the hometown of that person-we're-avoiding-talking-about. So hoping to flush the tension, Mallory decided to just ask the question:
"How's he doing?"
"Better," they said.
Screenshot from "Better for You" video, by Alyssa Pearson
It was a kind gesture among friends, a kind acknowledgement of the past, and a whole lot of opening of those doors we work hard to keep shut. But keeping those doors shut doesn't heal the heart. And it doesn't write songs, either. Reflecting on this tiny gesture, in a city park in South Dakota, those extra things that come with opening doors or boxes floated about to create "Better for You." It's a song about difficult pasts and hopeful futures, and an honest response that can only come after honest-to-goodness-forgiveness.
"How's he doing?"
"Better."
"I'm so glad to hear it."
Screenshot from "Better for You" video, by Alyssa Pearson
You can find the studio version of the song here, with also mutual friends Mike Shannon on bass and Chris Leonard on drums. You can also find us playing it live at noon EST on our Facebook page today. iTunes, Spotify, or a physical copy are all options, too. And, if you hold tight for another week, you'll be able to watch a music video for this tune created by our friend Alyssa Pearson filmed in a Philadelphia bar.
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Bonus: We Made Ourselves a Spotify Playlist
Can't get enough of this song? Well, hit replay. Or, you can head to Scott's weekly Spotify playlist where we've collected a few tunes that set a similar mood. This week, you can get all that Raging Emotional Country Ballad out of your system.