Hindsight, as they say, is always 20/20. As one reflects, regardless of their years, they'll look back on events and pivotal happenings that they may never fully undertand the impact of until much further down the road; conversly, there are circumstances you understand the gravity of right in that very second, like your first kiss, or that time you accidentally called your teacher 'mom' in front of your whole class, which was super weird because you were 16 at the time. Those expereinces are as awkward as they are formative, which if you know how I write (or worse, how I talk), is a ridiulously melodramatic thing to say, but hey, that's growth. In a way, it's our own little version of time travel, being able to play it all back and remind ourselves how far we've come, and outwardly, how much those around have (or sometimes haven't) change. Very rarely, however, do you get to watch someone grow so tremendously in what feels like so little time.
Hot on the heels of two stand-out singles, Liam Sheaffer's new double single, "Guilt/Just Be," recounts those maybe not-so-wonderful times, those "I just called my teacher mom" moments, the fall-back's and the come-down's of fighting the inner monologue down every Charlotte interstate exit, and just being. Written and produced by the NC native, "Guilt/Just Be" is the model of what it means to persist and to learn at every turn, pouring your being into the moment and moving forward despite the burden you've shackled yourself to.
"My goal when writing these songs was simply to deal with my problems with guilt and shame. I really resonate with artists that can turn uncomfortable situations or internal monologues into art; it's an outlet. Outlets rock."
"Guilt" swings and collapses and reaches further towards what could be love, refusing to accept the trust might be sprouting, reluctanct to truly connect to the people begging to get know our inner personas. In a similar vein, "Just Be" takes us back to the moment we realize we might be ready to begin opening ourselves up again, that we might be the very thing getting in our way, how to just be in the present even when the inner monlogue gets too loud some days, and accepting that what we need will present itself in ways and at the times that are often the least convenient to us.
The first version of "Guilt," I must admit, I've actually had stored in my phone since the end of March of this year, and yes. As a quote-unquote "journalist," that may be a conflict of interest, but then again, that never stopped Lester Bangs and Lou Reed from piggy backing off each other in whats now considered one of the closest freindships in rock journalism. I've had the privilege of watching Liam grow and succeed, and just the same, I've watched his music change with him. What started as a softer, heartfelt acoustic number over an 808 has since morphed into the staggering, climactic power-ballad it is today. Liam Sheaffer is a vast talent on the rise, and if this release is any indication, he has far from reached his peak.
Stream "Guilt/Just Be" everywhere.
Rob Lucchesi
Liam Sheaffer