‘Speak Now!’, the latest single from Louisville’s So It Was, was born in unexpected circumstances. Because while lead Daniel Lobb was walking through a local park, minding his own business and keeping himself to himself, another person had different ideas. “Someone drove by with the radio blasting, their subs interrupting everyone’s thoughts for a quarter mile in every direction,” Lobb explains. The brazenness of it made him view his own quiet in a new light. “I had to laugh at myself for trying to take no space—we all take space, and that’s ok.”
We previously covered So It Was back in March as part of Whatever Clever‘s Sprigs and Sprays compilation, describing ‘You Are Welcome (In This World)’ as “an overtly political track that somehow manages to embody a much needed oasis of calm in the current climate of greed and bigotry.” ‘Speak Now!’ might not be so direct in its message, but the same combination of earnest heart and laidback charm marks the sound. It’s a track which draws on a rich selection of instrumentation—from trumpet, trombone and clarinet to keyboards and electronics—yet always maintains a sense of casual ease. Something elevated by Lobb’s distinctively welcoming delivery.
Is it “speak now or forever hold my peace” time already?
I’m always holding my tongue far too steady,
she’s fine.
When my park puff’s interrupted by subs gone blasting down the street,
while I’m ashamed just to even be
The track comes complete with an animated lyric video. Check it out below:
‘Speak Now!’ is out now and available from the So It Was Bandcamp page.
Art by Leia Sexton, photo by Jon P. Cherry