Jason Heath and the Greedy Souls‘ “A Season Undone” opens the record of the same title, so it’s fitting that the first 20 seconds sees all the band members easing their way in. By the time the band is at full power, a rootsy rock sound has been unveiled that splits the difference between The Jayhawks’ unfussy alt-country and Needtobreathe’s dramatic Southern rock.
Heath’s tenor voice carries most of the song, particularly in the surging chorus. (I’ve been humming the melody, with all its dramatic stops and starts, for a while.) The exception is the extended solo section in the bridge, where the band just goes for it: guitar theatrics, searing organ, thrumming bass, stomping drums, the whole nine yards.
By the time the song winds its way to a close (“Our souls are shining brighter than the sun!”), Heath and co. have made a statement not just about this song, but about the record: they’re going all-in on this one, from the songwriting to the performances to the production. (This is no indication of their previous efforts, of course.) If you’re into acoustic-led rock with Southern and country influences, check this one out.
I’m proud to premiere this track today. In addition to sending over the lovely link above, Jason gave me a description of the track and the lyrics to run for your edification as you hear the song. They’re both run without adornment or comment below.
A Season Undone comes out September 11 on Industrial Amusement. –Stephen Carradini
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The song is about the process of tearing down to reconstruct… That moment when the rug has been pulled out from under you and maybe you don’t have a clue as to how to proceed. It’s about coming face-to-face with the fact that everything you’ve known up to this point is no longer serving you and just might have been false all along. You get to a point where you no longer have the strength to hold onto the past and the future is utter darkness and uncertainty and you’re seconds from letting go and falling into the abyss… but somehow you know you’re gonna survive. You’ll push on and come out the other side. Maybe a bit wiser… perhaps stronger… but definitely alive.
It’s one of those songs that rolled around in my head for quite some time before I finally let it come out into the world. I guess I had to face enough of my own demons to be able to write it properly.
“Days like these have come and gone
We try so hard but we can’t hold on
We’re all lookin’ for a reason
we’re all searchin’ for the sun
… welcome to season undone”
While I was recording the song I was reading about the vibrational tones that planets and stars emit and the sun is 126.22 hz so I used a tone generator and it worked perfectly for the intro and solo sections of the song. Jay (Federici) came up with an organ part that was really great, But the piano licks he put in were truly genius… he hadn’t rehearsed — he just sat down and played these really sparse lines that were perfect and lifted the track up to another level. And Tobin (Dale) played a really inspired solo for sure. All the guys played great on that song and the entire album for that matter. I’m truly blessed to play with amazing musicians and fantastic human beings. —Jason Heath
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A Season Undone
Step Into the Light
from the dark It’s your right
The Choice is your’s to make
With a grasp or a fist
Life is like this
you can give or you can take
And I saw you standing alone out on the road
Take my hand we’ll make a stand
Together we’ll carry the load
Days like these have come and gone
We try so hard but we can’t hold on
Wer’e all lookin for a reason
we’re all searchin’ for the sun
… welcome to season undone
Spend your days
caught in a maze
searchin’ for the pieces of your heart
frozen in fear
no step is clear
Surrender the hardest part
And I saw you tremblin’ like a star up in the night
Darkness has grown but we’re never alone
together we are the light
Days like these have come and gone
We try so hard but we can’t hold on
Wer’e all lookin for a reason
we’re all searchin’ for the sun
… welcome to season undone
Days like these have come and gone
We try so hard but we can’t hold on
The World just keeps on turnin’
The shadows dance and the fire’s still burnin’
Wer’e all lookin for a reason
we’re all searchin’ for the sun
… welcome to season undone
Our souls are shining brighter than the sun(4x)