#re:welson

SIDE A .

A duffel bag in a small cabin, they swear wasn’t a storage closet before you got here. You haven’t even unpacked all the way, unsure if this is where you’re supposed to be. It’s just somewhere you’ve been sent so someone else doesn’t have to deal with you. A godparent this time, before it was a distant cousin. At first you would throw yourself into these new places and new people, but you’ve grown more jaded and more guarded since then. This wasn’t the worst place to be, certainly different, but then someone told you about all the trouble with the government. You never signed on to be a criminal. Worried looks and careful sighs escape you as you wonder where you’ll go next. An itch at the back of your neck tells you the boat is more enjoyable than you want to admit.

SIDE B .

WELSON :   They’re the closest in age to you, so everyone assumed you would be fast friends. It seemed like they pushed you together, and maybe that’s why you’ve grown a distaste for them. Whatever the reason, you just wish they would be quiet sometimes. The way they flaunt their knowledge grates you, and you’re not sure how much you can take before you try swimming to shore.

TEISCO :   They knew their mother in your younger days. You think maybe she used to be wild then, like they are now. She cares about them, but clearly they don’t know what to do with you. If your mother was hoping for something godly or parental when she named them your godparent, she made the wrong call. They’ve made it clear, the best way to learn how to swim is to be thrown into the water without ceremony.

STAFFORD :   You hope you don’t end up like them; someone who had potential but burned out too quick. You’ve heard the way their music sounds, and clearly they had something... you wonder what they did to screw it all up. Maybe if you know you can avoid ever making that mistake if you get something good.

BONUS TRACK .

You are always so used to being the one to fix things. If it wasn’t your mother’s problems, it was a machine at your cousins or the car of your new neighbor. You always have tried to fix things without seeing the real problem ahead of you. Where do you belong? And if it isn’t on this ship then where are you going to go? How can you possibly fix that?

LINER NOTES .

SIDE A .

This was your idea. It’s your name on the deed to the boat. You had a dream and it has finally come to fruition. You pictured both a paradise for those who loved music, and a way to share that love despite the stiffness of the government. You’re bold and animated, and apparently it has translated well to performing over the airwaves; people call in just to talk to you, the one who keeps the music they love playing at all hours. A polarizing figure that stands on the edge of the ship, looking out over the horizon. What will you do to keep your kingdom, your utopia, protecting it both from the outside world and itself?

SIDE B .

STAFFORD :   You saved them, and you’re not humble enough to put it any other way. They would have lost all the progress they had made, their access to their passion, returned to some family business or what have you. But you saw their potential when the record company didn’t. Sure, it’s not the stardom they hoped for, but it’s better than going home.

WELSON :   Welson is just Montclair’s mini me as far as you’re concerned. They feel the need to be right about everything, and don’t know when to be quiet. They take something that is supposed to be fun and make it academic. cold. They’re really missing the point. 

VICTORIA :   They really shouldn’t be here. You can tell just by looking at them. They don’t have it and they won’t last much longer. You’re not being mean or cruel when you tell them this, you’re just telling the truth. Maybe if they realize that they would stop wasting their time and yours.

BONUS TRACK .

You are trailblazing your way through the unknown. A rebel, unafraid of the consequences that they like to threaten you with. You've never cared for something more than you care about this. You've never fought for the survival of something harder, never felt so much passion for a cause, never felt so damn much before. You will keep the records playing, because that is how you share the dreams of millions.

LINER NOTES .

SIDE A .

You’re in this for the fight. You promise a freedom, a liberation, to your listeners, with lips practically pressed against the microphone, whispering love letters and assuring the fall of the state. All you want is to inspire a rebellious spirit. Bureaucracy leaves a bad taste in your mouth, and the way they limit freedoms, especially ones that aren’t harming anyone, gives you a headache. You play your music in defiance, turning it up and hoping those in power will hear it. Let them come knock on your door, let them try and sink your ship. You’ve lit a beacon in the vastness of the open ocean, and it will not be extinguished. 

SIDE B .

HAGSTORM :   You can see through them like a clean window. For you, who cares so much, seeing someone care so little is almost physically distressing. They don’t seem to realize the importance of what you’re all doing, and see this as just another joyride. It’s not just music, or just pointless rebellion. You’re taking a stand, and you aren’t sure you want their name besides your when this is all over.

WELSON :   They care about this ship in a different way than you do, but you can tell that they care, and that’s enough for you. They’re young, but passionate, and the in depth discussions about which guitarist had the greatest impact, or whatever else they find interesting at the time, doesn’t bother you as it does some of the others. They’ve grown on you, and you see them almost as a younger sibling.

MONTCLAIR :   Despite the fact that they’re one of the founders of the ship, they don’t seem to get it. This is about freedom, not about micromanaging. You prefer to do your own thing, guide yourself in a direction that makes sense, but they seem like they have a plan for everything.

LINER NOTES .