Murray A. Lightburn premieres elegant new single “Changed My Ways” via BlackBook Dec 04, 2018

Murray A. Lightburn of The Dears has been exploring new territory on his forthcoming solo album Hear Me Out, to be released on February 22nd. The second single “Changed My Ways,” which just premiered on BlackBook, “works an enigmatic but urbane little corner of inspiration, where, say Burt Bacharach and Tindersticks intersect.”

In addition to the refined sounds, Lightburn explained how the recording process paralleled his approach to handling the album’s themes.

“I wrote this song on the piano. That first melody you hear, doubled by the flute. The original demo was more muscular and I doubted it for awhile. So I zoomed back in to the original way I sang and played it on the piano, which became the guide. I wanted it to be gentle and fragile yet strong – a tough balance that kind of encapsulates the album and its theme.”

“I wanted this song and the album to convey my own version of masculinity, but totally void of that bullshit. I wanted something that was strong and confident without backing down or [being] perceived as arrogant. That is really hard. And I don’t really hear or see a lot of that these days, especially from black men. In 2018, it’s not really pushed up front – so here I am, trying. Wish me luck.”

Listen to “Changed My Ways” below, pre-order a digital copy of Hear Me Out or check out our webstore signed for bundles.