Evoke - CRYPTID (EP)

This song is pretty straightforward. It's about a love I shared with somebody deeply important to me, and the push and pull of that. I tried to capture the intensity of how I felt as well as the complexity of the emotions. This is a very important song to me and I'm happy to finally be able to share it.

The Comfortable Dark is an album that has formed throughout the past few years, during which time I battled homelessness, became diagnosed with Bipolar II, and dealt with stresses so intense that I had seizures at work or at home, unable to move for hours at a time. My past experiences with the music industry have been hamstrung by my life circumstances, but this time it'll be different.

ALDEN GROVES - Parallel Soul

My latest collab with the man known as Frequent. We like you, so this one is a free download. Vocals are from yours truly. Share and like if you enjoy it :)

Follow Frequent:
http://www.soundcloud.com/frequentedm
http://www.facebook.com/frequentedm


Free Download

Frequent & Evoke - All The Same

All I Can Do

Here's my entry into Savant's remix competition, and my take on the tune "How I Roll"

I decided to take this one in a new direction, giving it a 110BPM Moombahton bounce with some neuro instrumentation. I also re-recorded the whole vocal section, singing my own takes to give the song a bit of my own vocal flair. Cheers for listening, and enjoy!

[5/14/14] :
Thanks to everybody for helping me win the Community Pick in the Savant remix competition! The support has been tremendous, and it means more than words could ever express. Much love!

I won. Yay!

Savant - This Is How I Roll (Evoke Remix)

Sometimes I feel like the only feedback I get is from "the algorithm" and I don't get to truly connect with you. This song is about working tirelessly, like a machine trying to appease other machines.

Any and all support is appreciated. Thank you for listening <3

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Instrumental)

This song includes many of my experiences with Bipolar Disorder. Before I found my current treatment plan, I used to literally scream at myself in my car at stoplights, wishing for my intrusive thoughts to be silent. Many times, I had to leave a shift at my job unexpectedly because my hands were literally shaking and I would start crying, and other times I would drive at dangerous speeds because my manic self craved the adrenaline. I doubted my ability to ever "be normal" and engage with society in the way that others do.

I encourage you to keep an open mind when you see somebody who is really struggling, even if you don't understand why. Many of us are harboring struggles that are too scary to share. You could be the one person who is willing to listen, with no intention of trying to fix us, and without assuming that your loved ones are simply lazy, weak, or irresponsible. You could be the person who helps us drive to our psychiatry appointment without getting hurt. You could be the person who orders food when we can't move. You could truly change the world for the people you care about. It's okay to have a negative or judgmental reaction at first, but at a certain point we need to look past our first impressions to build a better world.

Evoke - In Vogue

This song is about LIFE. It's about ART. It's about the SYMBOLIC EXPRESSION OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT.

Writing song descriptions is hard. Impossible. This is a dumb way to start a song description, for example. Maybe I shouldn't do it at all. Seems like all the cool kids have an artist bio that just says "Genres are for wimps" and their song descriptions just say "new one" or something like that. Am I uncool? That's a stupid thing to ask. Cool artists don't ask if they're cool. They just make music they love and let people interpret it how they want. Why am I even releasing this? I'm probably too old to be releasing music anyway. Too old and too weird.

Sorry, let's try again. Sorry. Here's the basic premise of the song:

*Adaptation (2001)* is a movie directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman. The movie is nominally about adapting the book *The Orchid Thief*, by Susan Orlean, but is focused primarily on Kaufman's experience making the movie itself. In that sense, the movie *Adaptation (2001)* is best understood as a movie about making the movie *Adaptation (2001)*. *Adaptation (2024)* is a song created by Evoke nominally about adapting the movie *Adaptation (2001)*, but is focused primarily on Evoke's experience making the song itself. In that sense, *Adaptation (2024)* is a song best understood as a song about making the song *Adaptation (2024)*.

That's probably too dry. And confusing. Did you have to read it multiple times? Also it kinda spoils the movie *Adaptation (2001)*. What if you wanted to see that movie? Now you'd start the movie knowing the premise. When I watched it I didn't know the premise. My song is probably not worth that. Although maybe you wouldn't have seen it if I hadn't told you about it. Is it worth it to promote a piece of art if promoting it might ruin it? It's still a good movie. You should watch it. You don't have to listen to my song. Just go watch the movie.

Okay, that was bad. Note to self: remember to delete that part above. You should start with something more engaging. This song is more impactful than just being about your dumb insecurities.

This song is about cars. Fast cars and guns. It's a bombastic romp through a twisting and evolving narrative, centered around the effortless vocal stylings and dynamic productions of one **ALDEN GROVES**, the mastermind behind albums like *FOOL // savior* (2019) and the creator of BOUNDARY PUSHING masterpieces like *Kiss Kiss Bang Bang*, released in November of last year. Evoke is going to be huge. Really huge. You're going to see the name topping charts on Billboard, and on LED billboards in big cities. Every Evoke song is self produced and performed, mixed, and mastered by Alden Groves, who also happens to be an accomplished Ableton Live instructor and part time model. A good dancer too, with a killer jawline. 

You need to listen to this song. Now. Your new life begins today.

Evoke - Adaptation

Making LIKE THIS is the most fun I've had making a song in a very long time. 

Those of you who have supported me over the years will know that the first songs I ever released were crunchy, bass-heavy dance tunes. Back in 2014 when the Evoke project first started, I used to stand in front of a big, cheap PA system in the living room of a house I rented with my three roommates and work on my songs loud enough that you could hear them from the street (apologies to anybody who had to share walls with me back then). Even back in highschool, I used to DJ warehouse raves and house parties and play truly the crunchiest, messiest electro-house I could find. It's been a long time since I've truly been able to reconnect with that energy, but I definitely felt it here. 

For me, this year's theme is Self-Assuredness, which has manifested in a a lot of different ways. It's meant releasing a lot more music (a new song every month!), but it's also meant that I've had to take a good hard look at how I present myself and my art to the world. Factually, I am making amazing, unique art. I make the music that I want to hear, because I don't hear anybody else doing it*. To some people that may come across as pretentious or cocky. I've doubted myself more than any of you ever could, but I know what I have to offer. 

It's like this: this song is an expression of honest, earned confidence. 

As always, thanks for listening and supporting my work.

* There are, of course, many amazing artists that have influenced my work, and this song in particular. I curated a Spotify playlist of songs that inspired me while I was working on this song. You can find that here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Sd11FpJ0amO16lYJ5p0je?si=1d75ecc759284db0

_____
LYRICS

Look, don't sweat it
If you wanna get it then get it
Somebody's gotta make tracks for the pregame
But it's not me babe is it?

It's like this
I do not miss
Lemme talk my shit
(Lemme talk ta-ta-talk ta-ta)
It's like this
I do not miss
Lemme talk my shit
(Lemme talk ta-ta-talk ta-ta)

I’m the mirage in the distance  
You’re looking like you wanna come sip this
If you’re gonna show up then you better show out
Lemme work but it’s not about business
Leaving my mark like a lipstick
It’s a gift for the kid like Christmas
I don’t wanna be dismissive
But you play shit and
No one should listen
I’m just kidding
If you wanna get it then get it
Somebody's gotta make tracks for the pregame
But it's not me babe is it?

It's like this
I do not miss
Lemme talk my shit
(Lemme talk ta-ta-talk ta-ta)
It's like this
I do not miss
Lemme talk my shit
(Lemme talk ta-ta-talk ta-ta)

Never been better
I’m a trendsetter
I’m against the conventions
I did ‘em better
My tunes are better
My spit is better
My shoes are better
My fit is better
My life's on the line so I live it better
Never bite my style
Can’t get better than this is
It’s a gift for the kids like Christmas
Hittin’ on the rhythm
I’ve been serving
Infer what I’ve been through
You could never do what I did do
Dig through all my hits
I do not miss
But no one would miss you

I'm just kidding
If you wanna get it then get it
Somebody's gotta make tracks for the pregame
But it's not me babe is it?

It's like this
I do not miss
Lemme talk my shit
(Lemme talk ta-ta-talk ta-ta)
It's like this
I do not miss
Lemme talk my shit
(Lemme talk ta-ta-talk ta-ta)

It's like-
I do not-
Lemme talk my-
(Lemme talk ta-ta-talk ta)
It's like this
I do not miss
Lemme talk my shit
(Lemme talk ta-ta-talk ta-ta)

Evoke - LIKE THIS

LYRICS:

Every word I’m speaking is a passion project
Serving sentences through bars  
I’m the subject and the object of your affection
Language is an art, you study mine as an elective
My name is on the board and I approve this message

It's fun—I win any game that’s zero sum
You can call me Ready Player One
The better player won
I’m always in control
I’m the only enemy you really need to know

Leave a message at the tone I set
Ready Player One—the only callback you’ll get
Don’t test me. You don’t wanna know my best
The better player won already—oops I did it again like Britney

So emotional I feel like I’m Whitney
Flow going so hard they don’t believe that I’m indie
Flow going so hard you would think that it’s Niagra on Viagra
That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever written

You still with me?
Be still with me
Are you still with me?
Be still with me

Are you still with me?
Be still with me
Are you still with me?
Be still
Be still

They say if you have another option you should choose it
There’s no good careers in music
Try accounting or computer science
Who the hell are you to think that you could ever do this?
They only say that if they haven’t heard the new shit

I’m throwing up deuces
I won’t dance for their amusement
A dodecaduple thread
I can lie down when I’m dead
I’ll revive myself again and again and a-fucking-gain

I don’t cause a scene I am the scene
I am all your fantasies: comedies and tragedies
Of the people for the people
And that’s all I have to be
Everything I need comes naturally
Are you still with me?

Be still with me
You still with me?
Be still with me
Are you still with me?
Be still with me
Are you still with me?
Be still my beating heart 

—

Now every part’s the easy part
I have seen and been the dark
I’ve restarted just to need to re-restart
I am not competing. I’m the bar
The end all be all enby you have all been fiending for

When you say “they say”, I’m the They you’re speaking for
My every frame’s a painting
Every speech a feeding frenzy
Biters try to nibble
But I’ve been eating since before you were a kitten

I can do pop
I can do hop
The god and the goddess of every drop
Never gonna stop it
When I lock in
Cause I don’t miss shots

Never been caught lacking
I’m not acting
I’m a good kid but I’ve gone bad
So let me at em if they want that
They’ll soon learn not to come for me

I do it so comfortably
I move in good company
On top and you’re underneath
Like Krav Maga or a Glock
Now I need a permit just to talk shit

Haven’t shot up in a minute though
Ten years in recovery
You think you can go in more than dope did?
Be real with me

Be still with me
You still with me?     
Be still with me
Are you still with me?
Be still with me
Are you still with me?
Be still

EVOKE - READY PLAYER ONE

I've recently had the pleasure of working with https://soundcloud.com/laurabrehm on this lovely 3 track EP. We wanted to approach this release differently, so we wrote and recorded all the tracks in person together, working more directly to bring a true and honest collaboration to you. Enjoy!

"In our lives we experience many journeys, and throughout these journeys there's only one thing that's certain; we never know quite what the future holds.
In this 3 track EP, Evoke & Laura Brehm explore what it means to set out in search of self discovery through a unique blend of pop electronica and folk music. The album touches on ideas of apprehension, presence, and self awareness, with a distinct lyrical focus on philosophy and acceptance."


Get it Now

02 Evoke & Laura Brehm - Future Holds

01 Evoke & Laura Brehm - Weightless

Evoke - CRYPTID

Track 01 on CRYPTID, out now.
̵̝̽
̵͍̇s̶̞̕ĕ̷̖n̶͖̈d̴̤͗ ̵̖̔h̷͉͑ë̷̫l̷̘͌p̴̢̀

Evoke - Fade

Track 3 off of the CRYPTID EP, available now.

GET THE CASSETTE

Evoke - The End

Lately I've been struggling a lot, with people I care about, and with myself. It's sometimes easy to wonder if a person can be broken beyond repair, and if any of us can ever be fixed, or fix our own problems, or if we're destined to repeat the same sad loop forever. This is a song about all of that and more.

The Other Side

[v1]
I'm sick of vacancies and memories of you inside my head 
And now I've been divided into pieces
I've been avoiding it and toying with the things I should've said 
And I'm still wide awake
I'm waiting patiently for somebody to tell me what I did
My thoughts have been distorted by the silence
I'm scared of something but I haven't figured out what it is yet 
Somehow I'm still afraid
[C]
Are you broken? Are you satisfied? Are you open to What I had in mind?
Are you broken?
Are you dead inside?
Are you breaking through To the other side?
[v2]
You know I care for you but I can't bear to go through this again 
I never meant to do a thing to hurt you
I'm not responsible for fixing all the problems in your head
I don't live for the chase
[C]
Are you broken? Are you satisfied? Are you open to What I had in mind?
Are you broken?
Are you dead inside?
Are you breaking through To the other side?
[Bridge]
Overrating our importance 
Overstated self indulgence 
It's not a loop repeating 
This has no future meaning 
I'm going catatonic
But I'll be back I promise 
My darling close your eyes 
Welcome to the other side

[C]
Are you broken? Are you satisfied? Are you open to What I had in mind?
Are you broken?
Are you dead inside?
Are you breaking through To the other side?

Lyrics Video

EVOKE - The Other Side

In my music so far, I haven't really addressed social or political issues directly, but that all changes today. I've been listening to a lot of rap lately, and it's inspired me to give it a shot, and to use the new medium to discuss issues that are important to me, namely regarding corruption and inequality. I've spent a lot of time honing and developing my delivery and technique, so–without further ado–this is Edison, my rap debut.

Support me here:
https://evokehop.bandcamp.com/track/edison
__________________
Lyrics:

I don't wanna wait another minute
I'm beginning to get a venomous sentiment 
Administer the medicine
My head has been spinning
Been inventing like Thomas Edison
I'm bitter, but I'll never be quitting cause I'm a veteran

And I don't owe you a minute in my position
I'm willing to take a second to spill
And I'm second guessing the feeling
And I'm repressing the skill in it
I've been dressing to kill it
Like I'm investing in villainy
Are you feelin me?

Bet you feel a bit better
You better feel better
A benefit's a benefit
Better ever than never
I never said I was clever
I'd better get it together
Cause everything that I said could be forgettable rhetoric

God I hope not
I don't got a whole lot
Left to try, I testify I'm probably
Next in line to wreck the mic
You gotta be deaf to whine 
The best is mine, you follow me?

[Chorus]
And I'm not sure what I've been fighting for
It seems like armageddon is upon us

Walking with the weight of the world in the way in front of me
I'm talking 'bout the fate of the world & the way it's gonna be
You're frontin' like they made up the data cause in your fantasy
There's something that negated the way that I play, but I'm

Trying to keep my focus; I'm hoping for something different
While coping with your decisions; I'm choking and no one listens
I'm broken but I'm not missin' a moment or reminiscin'
I'm totally set on fixin' the motives of politicians
Stop
Corporations invest in domestic policy
While stepping on the press and oppressing us into poverty
Depressing that the pressure is messing with our equality
The stress is progressing while they decimate our economy

We can settle the battle by getting rid of the rubble
But you're just hitting the bottle, because you're living for trouble
Why can't you get on the level and be a bit of a rebel?
When it's a bit of a struggle you shut down. 

[Chorus]
And I'm not sure what I've been fighting for
It seems like armageddon is upon us

Taking a break and I'm breakin em all
Makin a bomb, takin' it all back
Makin' it all smack, wakin' em all back up
Thinkin' they're all that, bringin' em all back cause
I'm bigger than all that rigamarole; that's just the
Thing about all that, makin' em all jacked up
I'm thinkin' of fallbacks, makin' a call back cause
You're thinkin' I'm all whack, thinkin' I'm all smack talk
Well let me tell you something

It's a bit of a riddle, a little bit of a predicament
A bit of a pickle to get rid of all the bitterness
If you're cynical, sentimental, or mental: be invisible
The minute is critical; the consequences are visceral

Consider for a minute the implications
Of being a different race
When you live in a situation
Where people in your nation
Assume that it's your laziness
Perfectly correlating with money and
You're making it poorly

The minute the system was invented they made a mockery
Of men and of women we descended from, they forgot to read
The minimal print up in the center that mentioned robbery
Of men with a different color skin they considered property

And I can sit & pretend that I did it properly
But then again, the fact is I wasn't born into poverty
A little big-headed, but the battle was never properly leveled
I'm ahead but it was never because I ought to be

[Chorus]
And I'm not sure what I've been fighting for
It seems like armageddon is upon us
And I'm not sure what I've been fighting for
It seems like armageddon is upon us

Watch the Video

EVOKE - Edison

Snag it Here:
https://evokehop.bandcamp.com/track/opus-lazuli

Not too long ago, somebody who I trusted and respected turned on me, and completely alienated and isolated me. I opened myself up to somebody who I believed I could love, and the wounds they inflicted upon me become that much more painful as a result. It took a long time before I realized that it wasn't my fault. Self doubt and sadness haunted me for months, but the pain has enlightened me in ways I would never have expected. 

This song is about my newfound perspective, looking back at a relationship that once had a potential to be amazing, and which turned cold and sour without warning. It's about sorting through all my naivety with a discerning eye, and picking apart all the pretty lies I used to tell myself in an effort to maintain sanity. Most importantly, it's about burning a bridge to a place I know I never need to go again. There is nothing wrong with breaking ties with truly toxic people, regardless of what they may have meant to you in the past. 

Letting go of responsibility for others is hard, but extremely important. We need to be able to admit when other people have wronged us, and to be free from the self doubt that arises when we are hurt. It is not your obligation to save or coddle the people you love, even if it hurts to know you can't save them. It is not your fault that some people will never truly appreciate you. Even if you admit this, it may not stop you from trying to fix them, or from trying to fix yourself to appease them. 

If you relate to this, find it within yourself to let your past stay in the past, and to admit when you're sacrificing yourself for somebody who wouldn't do the same for you. Break ties if you need to. Burn bridges if you have to. Life is too beautiful to spend time dwelling on people you can't change. You're better than that. I promise. 

With all of these experiences behind me, I can confidently say: I will not make the same mistakes again.

Lyrics: 

I'm banking on a total change of plan 
The ground's breaking but I won't let go of who I am 
You start shaking like you know what's about to happen 
And I know what I need to say 
But I can't seem to form the sentences 

So I'm taking all the letters that you sent 
All your sentiments and your photographs and gifts 
Into the backyard with a match 
And a bottle of gin that they'll be drowning in 
Before they burn to death 

We're too far gone 
And I'm burning all the evidence 
It's not enough 
I don't know what could make you think that it was 
I'm not your savior 
But it doesn't mean I won't try tonight 
Not to make the same mistakes again 

I'm learning what it's like–what it's like to live 
I'm burning with a fire that won't forgive 
All your sentiments and your photographs and gifts 
They turn to ashes in the wind 

We're too far gone 
And I'm burning all the evidence 
It's not enough 
I don't know what could make you think that it was 
I'm not your savior 
But it doesn't mean I won't try tonight 
Not to make the same mistakes again 

We'll burn 
We'll burn 
It will burn 
We'll burn forever 

We're too far gone 
And I'm burning all the evidence 
It's not enough 
I don't know what could make you think that it was 
I'm not your savior 
But it doesn't mean I won't try tonight 
Not to make the same mistakes again

Get It Now!

EVOKE - Opus Lazuli

‪#‎EveryDeathMatters‬ - Spread awareness

Please Like, Comment, Repost. 

Support My Music: https://evokehop.bandcamp.com/track/every-death-matters

On November 12th, 2015 a young woman walked off the deck of a cruise ship during a festival hosted by Diplo's label: Mad Decent. An astonishing lack of media coverage surfaced from the reporters who were actually on board, to the extent that rumors of a media embargo began to spread. The most accepted explanation for her death was drug use leading to inadvertent suicide. In a few months, the story wasn't catchy anymore, and publications shifted back to their regularly scheduled programing about twitter debates and award nominations.
The EDM scene has a problem. It's one that we don't like to admit, because any attempt to quantify the rave scene as different from other music scenes is scary to people who have spent decades trying to legitimize electronic music as an art form, but if we don't admit our problems, we will never be able to work toward solutions. Ultimately, we have to confront the fact that a huge portion of people at festivals are not there for the music; they're there for the unregulated and easily available drugs. I'm not speaking as an outsider here; the rave scene is one that I spent 4 full years fully immersed in, and I've spent 7 years of my own life trying to explain to people that electronic music IS real music.
I attended my first festival when I was 15, and was high for almost every one I attended throughout my raving years. Getting pills at these events is almost comically easy, and I never once heard of anybody I knew getting caught at a show with drugs. At the level of security, festivals don't care if their patrons are using illegal substances, because it's a big part of the draw. At a government level, the war on drugs has been proven to be almost totally ineffective at preventing addiction, use, and deaths like these. The result is an abundance of varied, unmonitored, and dangerous drugs that are sold openly in the rave scene, in a way that I have not seen in any other music culture.
My own drug addiction was developed through my involvement. I took ecstasy at event after event, with no knowledge of the content of the pills, and I wasn't the youngest person I knew doing so. I had friends as young as 13 who were being fed unknown substances in the company of thousands, with virtually no fear of consequence for the people responsible. Dealing drugs at raves is easy. It is profitable, has very rare repercussions for the dealers, but it can be deadly to the users. The most notable publications that claim to cover EDM almost never draw attention to this problem. It's as if we've accepted that people will die, because the idea of trying to solve the problem is too scary, and parties are too fun.
Don't misunderstand me; I don't mean to condemn EDM entirely–far from it. I've spent almost my whole life raised by this scene, and it has defined me. I simply mean to call attention to the potential that the rave scene has to be completely hollow, and turn a blind eye to our very real drug problem. Musicians in the scene do not address these issues. Publications are even less likely to do so. Festivals are making no public effort to tighten security or prevent these deaths. I hate the idea that this weekend, a pre-teen may take several pills with no clue as to exactly what's in them: pills that walked right by the alleged security checkpoints and were openly sold by a man who had nothing to fear. Something needs to change.
Every death matters.

EVOKE - EDM (Every Death Matters)

New cover! I've been holding onto this one for quite some time now, and I've finally tuned it up enough that it's ready to share. It's my take on an 80's smash hit: 'I Ran' by "A Flock of Seagulls". Those of you who've followed me for a while know that I love doing my own versions of older songs—Wandering Star & Teardrop for example—and I enjoyed toying with the aesthetic of this one. It was especially challenging learning and recording the guitar part at the end. Overall, I think it turned out really well.

Consider this a nice little snack to hold you over while I finish up my full length album, which I'm hoping to release near the end of the summer.

Share around to show support! Spotify and iTunes links will be posted ASAP.

Much love,
Alden Evoke


-----
Song mastered by https://soundcloud.com/au5

EVOKE - I Ran (So Far Away)

You are my tesseract
Each hour in my day
Every frame, for a second
Two years, or a lifetime
Two octaves
Each and every key therein
I know not what I do
But I do it all on your behalf
Thank you for listening
--- --- --- --- 
Lyrics:

Twenty four more
Twenty four more
Twenty four more
My body is a beacon of contagion
My body is a beacon
Oh, I’ll fade
I’ll fall; I’ll fade
I’ll run; oh yeah
Twenty four more

They gotta clean the cages
Everybody out for an age or two
Look at all that I made for you
Wash your dirty faces
Like a plaintive sabertooth
Don’t complain if it ain’t the truth

Alright; all rise. 
I’ll wade
Twenty four more steps closer to the grave
Oh, I’ll fall; I’ll run
Twenty four more steps closer to the sun

Clash on, clash on
Pain with the pleasure tacked on
Pastiche of a day long gone
C’est la vie; I’ve got a fatal weakness
I’ve been flayed to pieces
Warm waves will invade the beaches
Okay, okay, okay

Alright; all rise. 
I’ll wade
Twenty four more steps closer to the grave
Oh, I’ll fall; I’ll run
Twenty four more steps closer to the sun

Twenty four more
Twenty four more
Twenty four more

And my body isn’t. 
Didn’t wanna
And I got it, now I’m getting it
And my body isn’t
Nobody
I’m a failure at sail in a maelstrom
And a body isn’t
Didn’t wanna
I'm a tool or a fool or an idiot
But that body isn’t
Nobody
But I don’t know me like you do

Alright; all rise. 
I’ll wade
Twenty four more steps closer to the grave
Oh, I’ll fall; I’ll run
Twenty four more steps closer to the sun

EVOKE - XXIV

When I first wrote this song, I was living in my friend’s grandparents’ basement, and only owned what would fit in my car. I had no job, almost no money, and the only remaining possessions I really had were studio equipment. Nonetheless, I found time to record when nobody else was home, and kept producing and writing music whenever I could. 

Vertigo embodies the mentality I tried to maintain throughout that difficult period of my life. I had to buckle down and give everything I had. I got a job, started making money, and—with a ton of support from my friends—I managed to get out of the rut and stabilize myself enough to finish the record and start to really take care of myself. Now that FOOL // savior is about to release nearly 4 years after I wrote Vertigo, it feels more relevant than ever. No matter what life throws at me, I will not give up on what I believe in, and this album is the living testament to that fact. 

We're told a lot of things by society about how best to live our lives, and many of these messages are toxic or demeaning. Consumerism and corporate interests constantly put us down or try to manipulate us into believing certain things about ourselves, regardless of the harm or dishonesty of their claims. 

If one is going to truly be motivated, one has to really accept the existence of this harsh negative atmosphere, and learn to breathe in spite of the toxins. We can't persevere if we can't even acknowledge what we're fighting against. I wanted the lyrics to embody the spirit of the toxic aspects of our modern culture, because I think it's more meaningful to keep fighting with a keen understanding of where we are a society. 

You are and will always be enough, no matter what the adverts tell you. 

I'm undeserving of a purpose, but I will battle 'til I'm burning up.

FOOL // savior

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Evoke - Vertigo

[verse] 
Last night was a failure 
Deep down in a pungent chamber 
I awake to the thought that I’m losing sleep 
Great… 

And I can’t remember 
How I came to depend on a savior 
Or why I let it get to me 
OK 

Divide into fractions 
Conversations dry like the rations 
A little salt goes a long way 
It’ll all be OK 

Each verse is a lie of omission 
In the dirt in the fetal position 
I’m on a journey one way 
I’m emerging unscathed 

[interlude] 
Nothing on the frontier is without a definite purpose 
No individual is without a definite purpose either 
Survival’s too difficult 

[Chorus] 
Better get somebody for the end of days 
Somebody who can lend a blade 
When the world is a war zone you’ll know 

Somebody who can mend a wound 
Somebody who depends on you 
When the walls are asunder you’ll know 
I’m your liability 

[Verse] 
No more questions 
I’ve had enough of your goddamn questions 
Maybe I’m a sucker for irreverence 
Maybe I will suffer from irrelevance 

Each life is a type of decision 
In the mud I am one with resistance 
I’m on a journey one way 
I’m emerging unscathed 

[Chorus] 

[Bridge] 
There are no perfect people 
I know you’re only trying 
But I’ve forgotten how to be 
Alive 
[End Chorus] 
Better get somebody for the end of days 
Somebody who can lend a blade 
When the world is a war zone you’ll know 
You’ll know better 

Somebody who can mend a wound 
Somebody who depends on you 
When the walls are asunder you’ll know 

You better get somebody for the end of days 
Somebody who can lend a blade 
When the world is a war zone you’ll know 
You’ll know better 

Somebody who can mend a wound 
Somebody who depends on you 
When the walls are asunder you’ll know 
You’ll know better 

You’ll know better 
I’m you liability

Liability

ALDEN GROVES - Liability

I went back to my roots with this one. The classic evOke sound was characterized by more intense bass lines and edits, and I still love that stuff in the right context. 

I wanted to play off the double-meaning of “windows”: windows into houses and windows on a computer. In one sense, when I’m really upset I retreat into my online life. I can’t seem to close my windows. Similarly, when I’m really emotionally raw, it feels like I can’t close my emotional windows—all the weather from outside just pours into my house. His holiness Au5 gave me a lot of pointers when it came time to mix this one down, particularly with the heavier sounds. 

[Verse] 

Face the divine 
I shouldn’t have gotten involved 
Left me alive 
So I could receive the signal 

I can’t decide 
Whether to wither or wander 
Seasons go by 
And I can’t seem to close my windows 

[Verse 2] 
Taste the profound 
Stirring and energetic 
Lost in the cloud 
I’m ebbing along the static 

I can’t be found 
Whether I wither or wander 
Seasons go round 
And I can’t seem to close my windows 

[Verse 3] 
Come up for air 
This is the day you’ve longed for 
We’re almost there 
Just skirting the edge of a thunderstorm 

I can’t be scared 
Whether we wither or wander 
Seasons don’t care 
That I can’t seem to close my windows

Windows

Cut Off

The hollow sea wanna swallow me
Swallow Dramamine whole
By the bottleful
Odyssey, nautical

Loss of breath. Underwater
Not predestined not to find a harbor
Lucky duck, I lost the plot & lotto
Corking up an ark inside a bottle

Life aquatic—I’ll be honest
It’s no lifeline—fish food for thought
It’s no man’s land—there’s no land option
Dead men dance where a lone man tosses

Turns, churns, rolls, rocks and
Swerves in a current, floating atop some
Ocean of occurrence that flows with the flotsam and
Jetsam extending in every direction—I’m restless

Each wave on an anchor 
I lie awake as it holds me down
I’ve drowned before the dawn
Each day is an ocean
Full of sway and commotion
I search for solid ground 

I confess 
I’m in deep 
Watch the wake 
As I’m losing sleep
I’m obsessed
I’m at sea
Castaway with 
No life to lead

No life jacket
I grapple with my kraken
Dispassion—my actions
My extrication is a rite of passage
A life-raft gone hydrographic 
Microscopic to the tidal traffic
Write a passage in the Bible ‘bout it
The great flood shaped us
Wake up 

Noah
I collect the crows
I come up—I call out. The coast
I damn near fall out the crows-nest
To call out to no one 
Land ho, yes

Each wave on an anchor 
I lie awake as it holds me down
I’ve drowned before the dawn
Each day is an ocean
Full of sway and commotion
I search for solid ground 

Ocean
Sway sway sway
All I see is
Ocean
Sway sway sway
All I see is 
Ocean
Sway sway sway
All I see is 
Ocean 
Sway sway sway
All I see is 

Each wave on an anchor 
I lie awake as it holds me down
I’ve drowned before the dawn
Each day is an ocean
Full of sway and commotion
I search for solid ground

ALDEN GROVES - Sway (ft. Heléne)

Mirrors, Magnets

Wanted

The Odds

Reality Check

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