A raw confession wrapped in gentle melodies, "Wish I Were Her" explores the universal experience of watching someone you love fall for someone else while you stand by, invisible in plain sight.

The track begins with delicate acoustic guitar that creates a nostalgic backdrop for vulnerable vocals, painting the scene of three friends caught in an unspoken emotional triangle. As the narrator watches his best friend fall for someone else, the orchestral elements gradually build, mirroring the growing ache of unrequited feelings.

The chorus opens into a cathartic admission—"Why don't you look at me like I'm all you'd ever need?"—capturing that moment when you're forced to smile through the pain while watching someone give their heart to another.

Drawing inspiration from artists like Noah Kahan, Lizzy McAlpine, and early Taylor Swift, this track celebrates the courage it takes to keep showing up for someone you love, even when they're looking elsewhere. The bridge offers a glimpse of hope before settling into the bittersweet reality that sometimes love simply doesn't find its way home.

Wish I Were Her

Lyrics:
Streetlights flicker where we used to hide,
Empty houses keep the secrets inside,
Polaroids fading on the bedroom wall,
But the silence still remembers it all.

Chorus:
Ghosts in the suburbs, whisper my name,
Every corner still looks the same,
We were young with fire in our hands,
Now it’s ashes buried in the sand.

Verse 2:
Riding bikes down midnight streets,
Listening to the echoes of our heartbeat,
Graffiti promises on broken doors,
But we don’t live here anymore.

Cigarettes under neon skies,
Dreams too big for suburban nights,
You swore we’d make it out alive,
But only the memories survived.

Bridge:
If I scream, will you hear me now?
If I run, will you show me how?
Every ghost that I try to chase,
Brings me back to this place.

Chorus (repeat)

Ghosts in the Suburbs

"Room 321" - A time capsule of first love in freshman year

This song captures that irreplaceable intensity of dorm room romance - when love feels both infinite and confined to concrete walls. Written from the vivid memories of being 18, where every stolen moment matters and a twin XL bed becomes the whole world.

The track moves through time, from those urgent 2 AM study sessions that turn into something more, to standing ten years later, driving past campus with someone's ring on your finger. It's about recognizing that some experiences are so tied to a specific moment in life - those fluorescent-lit hallways, the beeping key cards, the RA you're trying to avoid - that they can never be recreated, only remembered.

"Room 321" is for anyone who's ever had a love that was inseparable from the place where it happened. Sometimes the most profound connections happen in the smallest spaces.

Room 321

Xak Stahl: Alchemist of Sound, Architect of Emotion

Xak Stahl is a genre-blurring music artist, sonic storyteller, and relentless experimenter. Every track he creates is a new world—a kaleidoscope of indie folk, alt-pop, electronica, and global flavors—infused with raw emotion and boundless curiosity. Xak’s music isn’t just heard; it’s felt.

From Shadow to Spotlight

For Xak, music is metamorphosis. His journey began in the shadows, transmuting heartbreak and struggle into songs that glow with hope. Early anthems like “Neon Dreams” and “Rising Through the Darkness” invite listeners to find their own light. His newest project, Major Arcana, channels the mysteries of the Tarot—each song an archetype, each lyric a step along the path from the Fool’s first leap to the wisdom of The World.

More Than Music: A Multisensory Universe

But Xak isn’t confined to sound. As a visual artist and writer, he crafts immersive stories that spill across genres and languages—sometimes haunting, sometimes playful, always honest. Whether he’s conjuring lush soundscapes, weaving bilingual lyrics, or creating striking visuals, Xak’s art dares you to feel deeper and dream wilder.

An Invitation to Transformation

Join Xak Stahl on a sonic odyssey that blurs borders—between genres, between artforms, between you and the music. Each release is an invitation to explore, to heal, to become. For Xak, every song is a spell, every album a universe. The only question is: are you ready to step inside?

Hi, sorry if you came across my page, not sure if my ADHD meds be working that well lately.... ALL LISTENS ARE FINAL, NO REFUNDS.

I just want to dance to my own music with you all. Experience it together, as I truely find joy in knowing my actions are significant. 

Initiate a Convo in the Comments, then we'll go from there. I'll follow up with everyone.

New tracks tagged #NostalgicIndie