HIGHRISE

Q: “Young Man” is such a powerful message about youth and growth. What inspired you to write this song?

A: I’ve had a lot of perspective changing events happen in the last few years that caused me to do a lot of reflecting and soul-searching. I recently became engaged, moved to a new state, lost a friend to suicide, lost on to cancer, lost another one to gun violence, and lost more family members than at any other time in my life. I also had felt a very strong urge to change the content of the lyrics of my songs to something with more maturity and depth for quite a while, and “Young Man” was the culmination of all that.

Q: The song talks about getting things wrong and learning from them. Was there an experience in your life that made you reflect on this topic?

A: For me it was more of a realization that I had been getting things wrong, brought on by a separation from the lifestyle I was living. While I was single, still living in my home city of Des Moines, IA, and pursuing the high life, my weekends were filled with late nights, alcohol, drug abuse, and one-night stands. When you are currently living that life, and your circle is involved in the same things you are, it’s hard to break out of. I ended up moving to Kansas City for work, where I met my now fiancé. The distance, my pursuit of a real relationship, the murder of a friend who did security at night clubs, and the suicide of the other friend who was brought to her breaking point by that type of lifestyle is what really helped to pull me out of those bad habits.

Q: There is a strong theme of responsibility in the lyrics. Do you feel that youth today struggle to take responsibility for what they do?

A: It’s hard to generalize about the youth of today, as it’s typical of the older generations to criticize younger generations over responsibility and accountability, and I’ve met many younger people that are more responsible now than I ever was at their age. For me, the lyrics were not so much a critique of the young as they were a message to the specific younger man archetype, like I was, that do not listen to authority and end up learning their lessons the hard way.

Q: “You dare the devil, but you never pray to God” is just such a strong line. Do you see it as a reflection on youth being reckless and not caring about the consequences, or is there something deeper to it?

A: That was perfect analysis! That line is meant metaphorically, but it can also be taken literally by religious folks. It is about living recklessly while not caring about the consequences, but also about actively choosing a life of recklessness over a life of responsibility.

Q: There is so much feeling in this song. Was it difficult to be so open and exposed in your writing?

A: Luckily, I have been doing this for a long time, so opening up in the lyrics of a song is therapeutic for me. What is significantly more difficult for me is opening up about these sensitive parts of my life in interviews like this. With the music, it’s easy enough to hid behind the song “just being a song” as it may or may not be factual or fictional, but to talk about it openly and personally in this type of format leaves no opaqueness. I feel like it’s important though, for this kind of song to have an impact, to put the context for the lyrics somewhere for listeners to see.

Q: The lyrics suggest that lessons need to be learned the hard way. One lesson you’ve had to learn for yourself, what is that?

A: Do not chase the easy and quick dopamine highs. Building yourself as a person takes time and patience, and your energy placed in the direction you really want to go. All that time I spent at the bars, high on some substance, or with a girl I had no future intentions with did little more than leave me feeling hollow. It started out by easing a trauma in my past but grew into a lifestyle that made much of the time I had in my 20’s a waste.

Q: The song is reminiscent of an analysis of then and now. How has your perception of young people changed over the years as you’ve aged?

A: What’s interesting is that when I was younger, I was far less mindful of death than I am now. Partially I think that’s because I have more people who rely on me now than I did back then. When I was younger, I didn’t as much consider the consequences of my actions, not just for myself, but for those it might affect around me, and that’s what I see in a lot of young people still today. I do not judge them for it though, so much as I see it as something to hope they grow out of quickly for their own sake, and for those around them who care for them.

Q: Cause and effect is a heavy-hitting theme throughout the song. Do you believe in karma, or was this utilized more as a metaphor for the actions you take in life?

A: I don’t believe in karma as a supernatural force per say, but I do think it ties in with the old adages, “what comes around goes around” and “you reap what you sow”. There is a lot of suffering around the world even for people who have lived mostly righteous lives, but in general terms, if you build yourself correctly, you will reap the benefits.

Q: The song is warning us from getting lost along the way trying to find your way. Was there ever a time that you felt lost in your own life, and how did you rediscover your route?

A: There was a point where I realized, every time I was drunk at the club, every time I did another line of cocaine, every time I woke up in someone else’s bed or had someone else in mine, I was feeling no enjoyment. It had become a habit, nothing more. I wasn’t addicted, so much as I didn’t have anything else to do. I realized then that I didn’t have a path forward. I thought that would be my forever, until the drugs did me in. Luckily that realization was what started me on a path to recovery. I focused on short term sobriety goals, then slowly increased those goals. I started going to the gym more often, which gave me goals I knew would be undercut by partying, and finally, I made the choice to move, which physically removed me from an environment and social circle that involved habits that were toxic for me.

Q: Regret appears to be a factor in this song, but so is acceptance. How do you balance those two feelings yourself?

A: I accepted a long time ago that the mistakes that I made in my past are what made me into the person I am today. I do have regrets, but those regrets have less to do with the effect that they had on me, and more on the effects that they had on other people. I can live with the consequences of my actions, learn from them, and let them shape me into a better person, but what I can’t do, is take back the effects that those actions had on others. For that reason, if you cannot make amends, I find it important to be able to forgive yourself but also have reverence for the mistakes of your past and not sweep them under the rug.

Q: The song talks about the world expecting young men to repeat the same mistakes twice. Do you think people are too quick to judge others on what they have done in the past?

A: I do. I also feel like young men are very quick to be generalized, as referenced in the previous lines, “As a young man all they see you for is violence and vice, Ambition and pride but foolish and wild”. So, the line you mentioned also deals with a young man’s struggle with being profiled, and the challenge he faces to not live up to societies prejudice of him.

Q: Was writing this song therapeutic in the fact that it permitted you to deal with any personal experience or emotions?

A: Writing music is always therapeutic for me, but certain songs, like this one, really do hit home for me as I’m writing them. I do not journal, but songwriting fills that space for me and allows me to organize my thoughts and work through personal baggage.

Q: If a teenager who is lost and struggling to find their direction were to listen to this song, what is the main message you would like them to get from it?

A: Listen to the people who have gone through what you are going through. They may not always be right, and you do have to find your own path, but stubbornness and pride can very easily become your downfall.