featured image provided by Noa Jamir

Track Dissection aims to capture the essence of an artist’s song: the effort behind it, the context surrounding it, and the emotions etched within it. In each piece, the artist pulls back the curtain of their work, revealing its intimacies.

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“These Walls” was written 3 years ago now, at the very beginning of 2022. It was one of those songs that seemed to write itself, all in one sitting and in one long breath. It’s really special when that happens, when a song kind of reveals itself to you, almost as though it was already written before you started writing it. It’s a pretty rare experience for me as a songwriter, and I’m always really excited and grateful when it happens. I don’t think I realized it at the time, but “These Walls” was kind of a cry for help. I think a lot of the songs I was writing at that time were. Songwriting has often been a tool for me to be able to look inward, not necessarily to judge or criticize myself, but to examine and ask myself what’s really going on. I think that’s what “These Walls” is trying to do. This song touches on the fear and shame that comes with letting yourself be loved and known by others. It can be really hard to open up to someone new, especially when you’ve been hurt in the past by someone you trusted. It can take a long time for those wounds to heal, and it can take a long time to learn to trust again. I was really wanting to acknowledge that struggle within this song. I feel like once you admit your fears and shame out loud – once you talk about them – you give them a little less power over you. That’s my goal when it comes to this song.

I originally released “These Walls” in 2024 last summer on my debut album Cicada. It was the first song that was written for the album, and it’s the song that opens up the record as well. Almost exactly one year after the release of Cicada, my friend Aidan Ashland (who plays lead guitar on the original version, and is an incredible artist in their own right) asked if they could record a cover of “These Walls”. I was so honored that they wanted to cover it. I knew that I would’ve loved whatever they sent to me, and that I would’ve cherished it forever. But honestly nothing could’ve prepared me for the recording they sent. It was incredible. It sounded so powerful and massive and professional, and the most impressive part is that they had recorded all the parts by themselves – the drums, the guitar, the vocals, every single piece. I remember listening to it on repeat the whole day. Just the effort alone that went into making the cover
brought me to tears. It meant the world to me. I ended up asking Aidan if I could sing on it with them, and if we could release it as an alternate version. I’m really grateful both versions of “These Walls” exist. They hold a special place in my heart.

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Lyrics

I thought it over.

Should’ve waited for this talk when we were sober.

You took it to heart.

Never mean to, but I know I can be too hard.

Oh I, I wish I could comfort you.

You wish you
could walk right though these walls that I built before you.

It’s just my default. I’ll show a little
skin and then I cover back up.

You’ve got a big heart, but you don’t know where to put it.

And I
don’t know what to do with it.

Oh why? I wish I could talk to you.

You wish you could walk right through these walls that I built before I knew you.

If these walls could talk, they’d tell you all the
things I couldn’t tell you.

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