The Inside Out’s new album No Brains, No Blood was recently released and we asked vocalist James Howard to tell us about each track. Check out his commentary on the album below!
“One, Two, Three, Silence.”
This track is the intro track to the record. It sets the scene of someone undergoing an identity crisis and dealing with mental health anguish, with the voice in the track struggling to decide who they are and what they want to do. It’s all about self-awareness and facing internal conflict.
“Separation Anxiety”
This track is written from my own perspective regarding things I went through with some toxic people. The afterthought to this song, “I made my bed all the same, I sing sad songs just to feel how it used to,” which hits in the second verse, speaks to the fact that you are who you surround yourself with and also that no one is perfect (hence the final line of the song.) I may have been mixed in with those people, but I was able to grow and separate myself from them.
“No Brains, No Blood.”
This song starts out with some really intricate and cool rock guitar leads and pounding primal drums that scream “something big is about to happen.” The lyrics paint the picture of having an argument with yourself. It’s a representation of the internal struggle to become a better person and a better you, whatever that may be.
“Nothing”
I wrote this song on the acoustic guitar before I even wrote its first half, “No Brains, No Blood.” The lyrics speak to the weight that comes along with being reckless; like drinking so much you don’t remember the course of the night, or neglecting your mental health so much that you don’t leave your bedroom. It’s a deep dive into the fact that even though it may seem like your mistakes are defining your future, you don’t have to let them weigh you down forever…and you shouldn’t.
You should always strive to grow, regardless of the fact that the future isn’t promised and that it may not even matter anyway. “I really love my family, there were a lot of friends, I never got to say goodbye to them, I’ll say hello instead. Soon enough, you’re nothing more than dead.” If you dwell too much on the negatives or the past, you may find yourself missing out on a wonderful life.
“Blue”
This is one of my personal favorites on the record. I wrote this while I was feeling lost and trying to find myself again. The chorus of this one is important to me because it conveys the idea that in order to quiet your thoughts and find direction, sometimes you need to listen to what’s going on around you and try to figure out what brought you to that state in the first place.
“Figure Me Out”
Everyone’s favorite track on the record. This song was an interesting one. The second I started writing it on acoustic and came up with the vocal line, “I can’t seem to figure me out, I feel everything,” I was like, “damn, that’s catchy.” It also flows really well with the concepts this record covers. Even though the lyrics are a bit dark, I hold them close because I think they’re really relatable, and I hope other people do too as they try to find their own path. I also love the guitar solos Zach and I have on this one, they are just so fun to play.
“I Don’t Know You Anymore”
Whether you’re looking at old photos, into a mirror, or at your own social media profiles, sometimes you don’t recognize what you see. Other times you do but it’s distorted. Sometimes this can be about someone else entirely who’s changed. This song was always about that feeling for me. The aggressive singing and intense guitar in this song alludes to the anger you can get with those realizations.
“It’s All In Your Head, It’s All In The Past.”
Pure conflict. This song was originally titled “Side A. Vs. Side B.”, but I thought that was a little too on the nose and I’m a sucker for the first line of the song, “It’s All In Your Head, It’s All In The Past.” It says it all. This song takes the anger, sadness, and aggression from the previous tracks and finally starts to show light at the end of the record with some actionable change.
Writing the lyrics was different for me because I decided they were going to have minimal to no repetition. I wanted the song to really tell a story of “this shit’s not going to get to me,” and even if it does, as the refrain suggests, “I Don’t Mind.”
“Back Against The Unknown (Never Again)”
Abusive relationships exist everywhere, and they can be a really difficult pill to swallow and acknowledge or move past. I wrote this song about an old friend of mine, who I’m happy to say is doing much better now, but who went through some of the hardest struggles I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
The sad truth is that sometimes an abusive relationship can also be with yourself. It’s really important to recognize this if you’re trying to grow as a person and bring positivity into your life. To me, this song is really about putting your foot down and getting yourself out of those situations.
“Fiend”
This song almost didn’t make it on the record and I reworked it way too many times, but I’m satisfied with its final form. I initially started writing this song about the loss you endure as you’re growing up and getting older. Some of my dearest friends passed away while I was writing this record, as well as one of my grandparents.
It made me feel really lost and I started thinking about my life and the people I care about in a different light. However, at the heart of it, this song was about addiction and how it can tear you apart. Even on your deathbed, you’re still fiending for it. Even if it’s what caused you to be there.
“Fire!”
The climax of the record. Andi, Zach, John, and I had so much fun writing this song with all of its fun compound time signatures and bpm changes…no we didn’t, haha. But, it ended up being one of our favorite songs to perform live once we got it where we wanted. I love the poetry in the lyrics and the music itself, and to me, this song is about the final fight with your inner demons.
Do you cave into addiction and mental disarray, or do you grow and learn how to keep going? Music is so important to me, and keeping it close as a positive vice has always helped me through whatever I was going through. You can really feel this as the song hits its heavy outro, which then turns into peaceful clean guitar melodies.