Cast Off

I got something in my head

A plate of steel

Oh man they said I was almost dead

I got something in my eye

I’d scratch but the cast

Has my good hand inside

She’s a pretty little catch

I like the way her hair fits right inside her nurses cap

Her breath smells like gum

Juicy juicy fruit if my jaw wasn’t wired I’d have me some

Nothing good happens to me

Yeah nothing good happens to me, yeah

Baby I’m shaking when you take care of me

But it’s alright

Yeah it’s alright

Maybe I’ll make it out we’ll just have to see

That’s it’s alright

Yeah it’s alright

The sun comes up and I’m alive

She holds the door as the throng of visitors arrive

And when it’s dusk she brings me treats

The jello’s old and warm

But her face is young and oh so sweet

Nothing good happens to me

Nothing good happens to me, yeah

Baby I’m shaking when you take care of me

But it’s alright

Yeah it’s alright

Maybe I’ll make it out we’ll just have to see

That’s it’s alright

It’s alright

I will recover in the same way

I learned to ride my bike

I was five

The day it finally arrives

The cast comes off and I am no longer mumified

And there she is but there she goes

Another patient rolls in just as the door swings closed

Nothing good happens to me

Nothing good happens to me

Baby I’m shaking when you take care of me

But it’s alright, yeah it’s alright

Maybe I’ll make it out we’ll just have to see

But it’s alright, yeah it’s alright

Baby I’m bleedin and I’ve broken my knees

But it’s alright, yeah it’s alright

Maybe I’ll fake it and I won’t have to leave

And it’s alright, it’s alright

Humble Humans

Humble Humans is a Digital Maker of things in Asbury Park, NJ.

Like it was for everyone else, 2020 was difficult for Los Angeles based indie rock band Louden Swain.  Their US and European tour dates were cancelled by May.  They had been working on new music, but were relegated to zoom sessions and email to work through ideas.  As 2020 dragged on, it seemed a herculean task to put together a new full-length album.  Nonetheless, they were excited by the bits and pieces of new music they did have, so in January of 2021 they decided to set a new goal - release a single per month for as many months as it took until they were able to get back on the road and support what will eventually become their next full length release.

The first single from this as yet untitled album is called “Basement Of No Hope” (set for release on March 12th, 2021).  While the title may conjure up images of pandemic related solitude, the reality is that the song was born from a friendly contest the band partook in during their 2018 tour.  In deciding who would get their pick of rooms in whatever house the band had rented that night on tour, they resorted to a classic game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.  A much disputed start of the contest (which was caught on video at the time and still exists on YouTube) resulted in lead singer Rob Benedict finishing last and ending up with the worst room in the house - a cold, dimly lit, windowless cavern in the basement.

The song is uniquely Louden Swain - lots of guitars lead by Billy Moran and Benedict, driving drums courtesy of Stephen Norton, thumping bass from Michael Borja, and the trademark lyrical wit and engaging vocal performance from Benedict - elements which have been staples of their 9 albums and 20 plus years together. It’s an anthemic piece reminiscent of the 80’s but with a distinctly modern feel.

Fans of (almost) all things 80’s, the band took their name from the protagonist in the 1985 film Vision Quest portrayed by Matthew Modine. Lead singer and guitarist Rob Benedict, bassist/keyboardist Michael Borja and drummer Stephen Norton launched the band in 1997 after meeting at a party in Los Angeles. Their early punk-inspired sound quickly expanded into a more adventurous and experimental sensibility, while maintaining the tuneful, emotionally open approach that first endeared fans on the early releases: Able-Legged Heroes (2001), Overachiever (2003), and Suit And Tie (2006).  The addition of lead guitarist Billy Moran in 2006 allowed the band to finally realize the sonic vision that they'd been hearing in their heads. 

Those epic visions and expanded horizons manifested themselves on the albums A Brand New Hurt (2009), Eskimo (2011), Sky Alive (2014), No Time Like The Present (2017), and Splitting The Seams (2018) - an acoustic re-imagining of songs from their vast catalog. They also released a highly popular live album Saturday Night Special (2019). Along the way the band discovered a fervid fanbase propelled by fans of The CW’s hit television show Supernatural which featured lead singer Rob Benedict in the role of God, also known as Chuck The Prophet.

Basement Of No Hope represents as much a return to normalcy as anyone can find these days. An energetic, spirited song that makes you want to move and keep moving, which is exactly what Louden Swain is planning on doing with every new single they put out over the next 10 months.

Louden Swain c/o 3 Car Wreckords, 11271 Ventura Blvd. Suite 500, Studio City, CA 91604, United States of Americabooking@loudenswain.com

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