Strong but somber, Phoenix’s Papertowns doesn’t fold too easily. Through trial and tribulation, the group released their debut album, With You In Mind. Frontman Jonathan Brown sat down with us to go behind the scenes of this personal, and triumphant record. You can check out the album here, as well as the video for their track “Change”
“On September 10, 2012 I parted ways with someone very dear to my heart. This record was written loosely about that said person and everything I experienced with them in our time together, as well as what I experienced after we parted. They are still in good health and high spirits”
“Drift Away”
There were points during our time together where one of us we’re going through hardships that required alone time. I was younger then and did not have as much knowledge as I do now about handling a fragile person. This song, as short as it is, represents a very vague idea of how from the beginning, until the end, we slowly drifted apart based on how each person handle each situation of hardship over the course of our time together.
“Late Night”
This song is the description of the last time I saw and spoke to said person. We were sitting down at a table discussion what is to become of us, and as we were speaking, I kept remembering every happy moment we had together, as well as the bad. You could say, “Life flashed before my eyes” if you will. It’s cliché, and I know that, but it was an honest feeling that I remember very vividly. “Late Night” is very much a reminder of the emotion I had felt at that moment.
“Change”
“Change” is the song of how I desperately pushed myself to move forward from what happen after we parted ways. There is a lot of general, positive phrases in this song as well, because I’m not the only person who has dealt with such a situation. Sometimes, hearing words that encourage you to create that change you need may greatly affect your attitude.
“Empty”
This song was a moment in my life where I relapsed in my positivity and became depressed and a little bitter at what happened between us. This song also points a lot of blame towards myself because I believed I caused us to part ways, and that weighed heavy on me. This is my anthem asking for forgiveness.
“Dusk”
Dusk was a song of regret for me. I remember living in a two-bedroom apartment alone for a while, and I used to stay up late and truly wonder what caused everything. In the chorus, the heaviness of my regret really becomes apparent, and throughout the song, bits and pieces of my self-deprecation show. I also wrote this song in that same two-bedroom apartment, late at night, while wondering what caused everything.
“Old Days”
Old Days, lyrically, ties in vaguely with Late Night, because they stem from the same situation. During that same conversation at the table, there was a bit of argument and Old Days would be how the conversation ended versus how I felt during it. I was told to leave; I wanted all the pain to end. This was and is the end of what we had, because since then, those times have become Old Days, distant memories.
