Alt-popster WizTheMC has arrived with his second EP, ‘Where Silence Feels Good’ – the follow-up to 2019’s excellent ‘What About Now?’. Born during a challenging and very busy move from Toronto to LA, the charming collection covers themes of “dating, butterflies, heartbreak and continued soul searching,” he explains. Especially the heartbreak, if this track by track guide is anything to go by. Give the release a listen below, and find out more about it from the man himself, too.
Everything
I remember this writing session so vividly because it was such a magical evening. Jeff Hazin, the producer I worked with on most of this EP, and I went out for a burger and a beer and headed to his studio across the street. He picked up the acoustic guitar and instantly played the chords that we hear in the intro and outro, and the chorus came out of me within the first minute of freestyling. After that, I wrote the two verses within 20 minutes, and we wrapped the recording after an hour of us coming back from the diner.
Premature Love
‘Premature Love’ is one of the songs where I lived the situation and just put it on paper. I often reflect in my music or make up a fantasy world, but this one came right out of an experience. I had just started seeing this girl, and every date we had felt so special, so much so that by the third date, I was sure it was going to work out. This song pretty much describes that (premature) confidence I oftentimes have in relationships. Spoiler alert… It didn’t work out.
Break
Ironically, I wrote this song while I was still in a (happy) relationship. Now, I sometimes wonder if my songs predict my future… which is kind of scary. Regardless, I still try my best to not think too much about what I’m writing because I feel like I just have to let certain things out, even if I don’t know why. After that relationship ended… this song not only sounded 10x better but also made a lot of sense lyrically.
Do It Over
‘Do It Over’ is a really special song to me, from the writing session to the final video I ended up shooting in LA. Jeff and I wrote this song in the middle of nature somewhere, three hours outside of the city of Toronto. When we were writing, we had the windows open, and all we heard was rain and crickets (which ended up in the song as a snippet in the intro and outro). I had just come out of a relationship but still felt a lot of love towards this girl I spent a good amount of time with. As Jeff was playing the guitar, I was freestyling, and he kept stopping me when I would mumble. ‘Do It Over’, he would say, and just like that, the song title was born. Shortly after that, the rest of the lyrics seemed to jump out of me.
Stoned Nights
Ever since writing this song, I’ve had this one image stuck in my head. It’s of me driving through the rain In Toronto, more specifically running a red light on Ontario St and Dundas St East. That’s where I used to live some years ago and where I experienced some heartbreaking moments. When I wrote this song, that was the picture I used to guide myself through the story. It’s one of my first songs where most of the messages I receive about it involve people crying to the song, getting goosebumps or vivid memories of past lovers. It’s really crazy to see what certain lyrics and emotions can do to people.
Like That
To me, this song feels like walking home drunk from a party thinking about a girl I’ve been trying not to think about.
This studio session was really special because Jeff and Sam Austins had worked together before, so there was already this chemistry in the air. I love Sam’s vocals so much because they carry such a unique attitude, which gives the whole vibe such an edge and honesty. The guitar you hear on this record was done by Jared Scharff (Pearl Lion), the guitar maestro. A true dream team I got to work with.
Emptyhanded
This song came about in one of the first sessions I had in Los Angeles. The odd thing about this time in my life was that I had just come from Mexico City, where I developed acid reflux through food (I’m guessing), which damaged my vocal cords. So, when I was in the studio with Ryan Raines, the producer, I was only able to use maybe 10-25% of my vocal range, which is the true reason for the mellowness in my voice. Because of my limitations, I had to write almost in a talking voice, which I almost always try to avoid. Ironically, this song turned out to be one of my favourite songs that I made that summer in LA. Maybe that physical (vocal) vulnerability forced me to be more blunt in my lyrics?
WizTheMC’s new EP ‘Where Silence Feels Good’ is out now.
