Track By Track: Jordan Klassen on new EP Curses

Curses is a collection of songs examining my own mental illness and reflecting on the common experiences I've found among my peers in its woes. While I often try to make sure some hope and brightness breaks through in my work, on this record I allowed myself to really be honest about some of the darkness that's shaped who I am.

Carol

This is a song I wanted to illuminate a bit of what relationship anxiety feels like from the inside. It's actually written to my now-wife, trying to explain and to be grateful.

Curses

"Curses" is about facing the darkness of mental illness, calling out what it feels like to constantly be berated with negative self-thoughts and cynicism.

Light Come Again

In recent years I've spent a lot of time pondering my own propensity toward longing, and never feeling quite satisfied. Even when I get what I want it seems that it's not quite what I had hoped. This song explores some of these thoughts.

Night Is Young, Story Is Old

I turned 30 right before I wrote this song, and was experiencing a lot of fear of how quickly my life seemed to passing by - like I had wasted so many of my years. At the same time, I was perhaps a little annoyed at myself for this fear. I am, after all, still a young buck.

Cool Night

"Cool Night" is a tune that's been in my psyche for a long time. I'd always wanted to write something that had a big build out of some deep melancholy. I wanted to describe one of those moments in the midst of mental illness where you feel ok, calm, like everything's going to be ok. Your head pops above the water for a moment.