When I woke to the ash gray morn
White was filling up the tops of trees
Groan and ugh and roll back face down
Send best wishes to my back and knees

I’ll stay here until the flowers break the ground
I’ll stay here until bird children take wing

Curse the shovels and the mismatched gloves
Curse the drudge of the muck and leaves
While my mug fogs the window panes
Watching snow drop just makes me seethe

I’ll just lie here with my dreams of Spring in my head in my bed
I’ll just lie here with my dreams of Spring in my head in my bed

=====

Written, performed, and recorded by Joshua David Thayer at Brave Tiger Studio.
Mixed by Bradford Swanson.
Mastered by Mark Alan Miller at Radio Valkyrie.

Released on Brave Tiger Records, January 17, 2024.

Bird Children

Written, produced, and recorded by Joshua David Thayer at Brave Tiger Studio, Medford, MA
Production assistance by Bradford Swanson
Drums recorded by Monte Arnstam at 1357 Recording Studio, Greenfield, MA
Mixed by Mark Alan Miller at Radio Valkyrie, Easthampton, MA
Mastered by Jonathan Wyner at M-Works Mastering, Somerville, MA

—————

Joshua David Thayer: Electric bass, fretless bass, upright bass, acoustic guitars, classical guitar, resonator guitar, mandolin, ukulele, banjo, electric guitars, tenor guitar, baritone guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, shakers, tambourines, maracas, glockenspiel, drum programming, string arrangements, voices

Jason Smith: Drums

—————

Dedicated to the memory of Walter David Thayer (1948–2023)

—————

At the same time each day
The cold winds blow
And they hollow your bones
At the same time each day
The cold winds blow

And they empty your soul

At the same time each day
The train wheels roll
And they rattle your bones
At the same time each day
The train wheels roll

And they give you control

It’s a feeling like a tempest
But you won’t let go
You’ve always got to own it
It’s a feeling like a tempest
But you won’t let go
You’ve always got to own it

In the same way each year
You’re pushing stones
And they just roll back down
In the same way each year
You keep pushing those stones

And you’re starting again

It’s a feeling like a tempest
But you won’t let go
You’ve always got to own it
It’s a feeling like a tempest
But you won’t let go
You’ve always got to own it

Tempest

Written, produced, and recorded by Joshua David Thayer at Brave Tiger Studio, Medford, MA
Production assistance by Bradford Swanson
Drums recorded by Monte Arnstam at 1357 Recording Studio, Greenfield, MA
Mixed by Mark Alan Miller at Radio Valkyrie, Easthampton, MA
Mastered by Jonathan Wyner at M-Works Mastering, Somerville, MA

—————

Joshua David Thayer: Electric bass, fretless bass, upright bass, acoustic guitars, classical guitar, resonator guitar, mandolin, ukulele, banjo, electric guitars, tenor guitar, baritone guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, shakers, tambourines, maracas, glockenspiel, drum programming, string arrangements, voices

Jason Smith: Drums

—————

Dedicated to the memory of Walter David Thayer (1948–2023)

—————

It’s just another one of the days 
That I don’t know what to do
It’s just a list of the ways 
That I will crack right through

If I can’t save me, there’s no hope for you
‘Cuz it seems like I’ll just punch, crumble, and crawl

Feels like I would rather just mess 
Around than start flowing past
While the feels are sticking around
I’m just gonna let them last

If I can’t brave me, there’s no hope for you
‘Cuz it seems like I’ll just punch, crumble, and crawl

And I see a future sense of grief
And I need a sleep, a peace, a new dream to believe
To get me through to tomorrow

It’s just another one of the days
That there’s a hole hanging round
It’s just a void in the ways
That we can help things stay sound

I know I can’t change me, won’t take a rest at all
Still it seems like I’ll just punch, crumble, and crawl

Trust yourself and trust in others
Believe that they care about what you do
Trust yourself and trust in others
Believe that they care about what you do
Trust yourself and trust in others
Believe that they care about what you do
Trust yourself and trust in others
Believe that they care about what you do

Punch, Crumble, And Crawl

Released November 14, 2025.

We Won't Relent is a jangly, angular, forward-driving song about nostalgia and friction and when those two things refuse to bend to each other. All momentum, all pulse: four on the floor, snare and hi-hat snapping, bass grooving hard underneath. 

We Won't Relent was recorded at home in Medford, MA. I played and sang everything except drums, which were handled by my dear pal Jason Smith and recorded at 1357 Recording Studio by Monte Arnstam. The song was mixed by Mark Alan Miller and mastered by Nick Zampiello.

The album this comes from — "So Little, Close to Nothing" — will be released on December 5, 2025.

Copyright © 2025, Joshua David Thayer, all rights reserved.

——

We haven’t roamed these streets in twenty years
We haven’t roamed these streets in twenty years
But it seems that you really want to throw it away
You think that it could be your cure for pain

We haven’t worn these jeans in twenty years
We haven’t built these dreams up past our fears
But it seems that you really want to throw it away
No way will this be your cure for pain

We won’t relent
We won’t break, no
And we won’t give an inch

Nothing lasts in this world for twenty years
Breaking down what you see and what you hear
Till you insist on throwing it all away

It’s ones and fours
It’s ones and threes
It’s ones and twos again  

We won’t relent
And we won’t give an inch
We won’t relent
And we won’t give an inch
Who has roamed
Who has roamed these streets
Who has roamed
Who has known these streets
Who has roamed
Who has roamed these streets
 
We won’t relent
And we won’t give an inch
We won’t relent
And we won’t give an inch
We won’t relent
And we won’t give an inch
We won’t relent
And we won’t give an inch

——

Joshua David Thayer: Bass guitar, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, baritone guitar, tenor guitar, keyboards and synths, glockenspiel, percussion, vocals // Recorded at Brave Tiger by Joshua David Thayer

Jason Smith: Drums // Recorded at 1357 Recording Studio by Monte Arnstam

Mixed by Mark Alan Miller at Radio Valkyrie
Mastered by Nick Zampiello at New Alliance East

We Won't Relent

A song for my Great Grandmother, who marched against imperialism. 

Bunty Singh (sarangi). Produced by Josh Cohen at Black Hat Music in Medford, Massachusetts. Photo by Saraswathi Jones, Taj Mahal in Agra, U.P.

Lyrics:
The jewel in the crown 
she is sparkling, proud
she is weighing her options 
they are weighing her down                                          
the jewel in the crown 
dreams in sepia brown
fields of saffron and mustard and a singular sound

And one day, it will come
Vandemataram

The jewel in the crown
spinning cloth for the gown
she will wear as she marches 
to the sea from this town
the jewel in the crown 
doesn't know what she's found
does she dream of rebuilding
or of tearing it down

And one day, it will come
Vandemataram
Vandemataram
Vandemataram       
Vandemataram

Jewel In The Crown

Joshua David Thayer has been a performing musician for 35 years, primarily as a bass player for bands including Love Minus Zero, Fancy Trash, Hadley Transfer Station, and Slumberland. He has also performed with artists such as Mark Mulcahy, TW Walsh, Dennis Crommett (Winterpills), Joshua Crane, and Treefort and shared stages with 4 Non Blondes, Juliana Hatfield, The Jayhawks, DeVotchKa, Jesse Malin, and many more.

We Won't Relent

Joshua David Thayer

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