Javelin Demo

time will eclipse you now

Javelin is a rare song where, if memory serves, I really only ever wrote it in one place. Often I end up working on my songs in various places. In bits and pieces they come to me and I end up sort of sewing those pieces together all over.

But for Javelin, I distinctly remember this one being something I only ever really worked on in Kansas City, at home, alone, between tours. I’d pick the song up and put it back down and not touch it until I had returned back to my living room where I’d left it sitting on the neck of my guitar.

I have two distinct places in mind when I think of writing this song; my couch, and sitting on top of my picnic table on our front porch. It’s there that I remember holding my Waterloo and workshopping Javelin. From the picnic bench it would either be freezing or very hot, season depending, but always, Javelin.

I had wanted to write something that captured the feeling of whiplash and culture shock that comes from circling the globe and returning home to the Midwest. For the longest time I couldn’t tell if this song was any good and it’s one of the last we recorded for the album.

I remember distinctly feeling cringe around the lyric “am I a has been, or am I a husband?” to the point where I almost left it out of the song. Ironically it’s the line that’s probably been praised the most since releasing the album. It be that way sometimes!

Anyways, I’d say this is my favorite demo of all. After finishing the song at home I took it to my lil studio and fleshed it out. It’s much different than what ended up on the album. It’s sad and longing and made on my piano and a mellotron. Once in the studio we decided to make the song much more uplifting and happy, which was the right move, but i’ll always cherish this demo.