"ULTRAPURE", the album was released-September 22, 2021, following the release of 2021's Sunflower, which gained Maroney international recognition. The album is a highly personal endeavor for Maroney, with Daniel Tashian producing and Maroney playing all the instruments on the record, making it his most cohesive album to date.
My favorite moments in the human experience are ones that you don’t even realize have started, but feel so deeply when you realize they’ve ended. I refer to these as ‘Ultrapure’ moments. This album was my humble, unqualified, and earnest as hell attempt at sitting in those feelings until they had no choice but to burst out of my head. These songs are about a type of pain I hate and love, but mostly have a deep appreciation for.
"Body" showcases the cohesion and sensitivity of Maroney's music. The song offers a driving, hazy exploration of Maroney's personal growth and development, with a vocal refrain that is sure to captivate a new generation of listeners. Watch the music video for "Body" below, and continue scrolling to view Maroney's recently announced Paradise Festival lineup, set to return to Nashville's Brooklyn Bowl in October with performances by Samia and Hovvy, among others.
He sings,"Sleepin' in parkin' lots and missin' all my friends a lot / Rememberin' what I forgot when I was a kid / Shake the dust and breakin' in, definin' all my innocence / And wonderin' aloud if I will do this again.......Pre Chorus.....But it seems the closest that I’ll ever be / Is when I let the world fall around me......Chorus.....Someday, my body will be just a body / And a big white light before me lets me know these days will end / But I got today and the only plan I've made / Is to love like I might never get to love someonе again.........[Post-Chorus]......Taking lots of reckless drives to еase the edge of reckless minds / I never thought that I would feel this close to myself / Laughing so I wouldn't cry and crying 'cause I don’t know why / But feelin' every feelin' always seems to help"
We made this album during a particularly beautiful season in Nashville, TN. Working with Daniel Tashian and Konrad Snyder felt like being guided by two wise and empathetic souls – who also happen to be undeniable goofballs – to do nothing but be myself. They pushed me to trust myself, even to the point of me playing every instrument on this record so that it felt as personal as I wanted it to! (My first time playing drums or piano in front of anyone else! Horrifying!!!)
Track 5 of Ultrapure, “Sunburn”, is a song about the power of change. Written and produced by Daniel Tashian, engineered by Konrad Snyder. He starts, "Did you pass out that night / When the band drove you home? / Heard I missed the stage dive / I was crying alone / And I thought I'd lose it / When you all hit Broadway / Even good friends fuck up / Sometimes you learn the hard way......Pre-Chorus....Discoveries of these twenty-somethings / There ain't been nothin' ain't been said before / There is that voice in the back of my head / Saying, "If you don't like it, there's the door" / I can't take it anymore......Verse 2....If I go, would I be / Someone's anything? / Somehow everything? / Could I settle for less? / I feel blessed, I feel cursed / That everything hurts / But at least I'm free / To get it off of my chest.
Making this album was a perfect combination of effortlessness and a struggle. It was very clear from the start it was going to be something I would never forget. The thesis formed when I wrote the title track, “Ultrapure,” which was the second song I wrote for the album, after “Body.” It was one of those rare artist’s dream songs that took just 15 minutes to spill out after weeks of writing what were, essentially, a lot of shitty songs. It was the kind of song that laughed at me when I finished it, mockingly saying “I’ve been here all along dumbass!!!” So began a meditative cycle of me practicing getting out of my own way and letting these songs present themselves.
The story of "Detonator" tells the tale of a young man who discovers he is in love with a young woman who is still in love with her ex-boyfriend, although this is not immediately apparent upon first hearing. The summery tune conveys a hint of sadness, which is concealed by the lush guitar and the consistent beat provided by the drums. It conveys the sentiment of late nights and brief summer love affairs, ideal for blasting with the windows down on a late-night drive to the beach.
Why do we feel the things that we don't know? / I bet he knows you in ways I don't / But he was fool enough to let you go / I'm not intimidatеd / And I never loved somеone like this before / Been waiting for life to come and close this door / I'm not fool enough to let you go/So I'm taking my hands off the detonator ..............I guess I must confess / I don't know what to with my hands / Unless they're pressed against a steering wheel / Veering from the things I feel / Something breaks the shit and hits me right in the chest / But it seems.....
Throughout the record I wanted to open a lot of doors, peek my head in, and reflect for a bit. For the first time I’m addressing both the pains of my childhood, and the love I have for my mother. Honoring this duality, “Delaware,” “Sunshine,” and “Ultrapure” all touch on the defining moments of travel, danger, and uncertainty I felt in my early life, while their titles reference some of the most beautiful memories I have. Writing about all of this was totally new for me, but these songs guided me so kindly to the moments like “Breathe,” “Chaos Party,” and “Body,” where I was able to celebrate the lessons those early pains taught me.
"The Idea" is a more acoustic-oriented song, featuring piano and soft vocal harmonies. It evokes feelings of nostalgia, which is in stark contrast to "Detonator", yet resonates with the underlying theme of the album: the knowledge that, in the end, all the hardships of youth will be forgotten. This song evokes a more nostalgic atmosphere than the preceding one, yet still conveys similar themes of youthful love and the difficulties of growing up.
Lyrics go like this, "Guess I'm at it again / Another sleepless night on the fact that you asked for advice / You've got an ex-boyfriend / And there it goes, my sudden confidence / I guess I let him win / 'Cause I swore to God I wouldn't let this in my head / Now you're just checkin in / You want the truth but it feels like a chance to slip............Into something simply complicated / Free to take the easy way out / Chewing on the hesitation / 'Til I spit it out ..........Unconditionals, unconventional / Couldn’t find love on my own / But now I’ve got you here / I don’t have to do this alone.........Been meaning to say since I met you that day / That there isn’t much more I could need / The home that we’ve made is an endless parade / Of cold coffee and family......"
This fall, singer-songwriter Maroney will be performing at his second annual Paradise Festival at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville, which will take place from October 12 to 14. Last year's sold-out event was curated entirely by the artist, who concluded each night with a high-energy, celebratory headline set. The festival will feature a selection of peers from the Nashville scene, with this year's iteration featuring Samia, Headvdy, Skullcrusher, and more. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to local nonprofits, further solidifying Maroney's status as a leader in the Nashville music scene.
Maroney will also be supporting Ultrapure on a headline tour in the UK/EU, which will begin in Brighton, United Kingdom on October 31st and conclude on November 16th in Cologne, with additional cities in between.
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