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Headlights

from Jumpstart EP by Leslie Rich

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    The new solo release from Leslie Rich, Jumpstart, visits the teen and pre-teen years of his childhood. Leslie had to manage a lot of emotions in those early years: his dad’s yearning wanderlust, his parents’ temporary separation, the death of both grandfathers, and navigating blossoming love. These emotions all come together in this first EP from 12 recently written tracks; it’s rare for any songwriter’s songs to be so closely bound together. And rarer yet that they proliferate from a specific era in time. Reflection may always come at a certain age. Whatever the truth behind these seemingly endless, sunshine-filled days, Leslie decided that his experience of that time and how he remembered it was as valid as anyone’s version. Any healing came from the roots of how his nine, eleven, or fifteen-year-old self navigated those memories.

    Because the songs came so fully formed early on, Leslie decided to reinvent his usual recording process. He shared the rough demos with his friend, Heavy Sixers guitarist Grant Eull, who had recently begun experimenting with analog synths and sequencers. The results were instantly enlightening, so Stephen Helvig of Helvig Productions was recruited to bring order and direction to the home recordings. In the studio, happy accidents flourished, “usual” processes were abandoned, and traditional instrumentation was kept to a minimum, outside of Leslie’s acoustic foundation. Once finished, a common thread of experimentation can be seen all the way from 1999’s Geeklove or 2001’s Written Lie. In ruminating on his roots, perhaps Leslie managed to creatively rediscover them.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Jumpstart EP via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.     ... more
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about

Headlights is a realization that his dad went through his own inner turmoil trying to figure out the man that he was. While struggling to work out how he feels, the man in the song is urging his young son to find his path quickly and follow his dreams. “What are you waiting for? What direction are you going?”

lyrics

OH IN THE HEADLIGHTS
YOU SEE REFLECTIONS OF YOURSELF
AND THE DRIPPING RAIN LIKE YEARS PASSING

KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE ROAD BOY
KEEP YOUR HANDS THERE RIGHT UPON THE WHEEL
AND THE ROAD WILL NEVER LEAVE

HAVE YOU SEEN THE PATTERNS WEAVING
LOOSE THREADS THAT TIE INTO A ROPE
YOU COULD JUST AS EASILY HANG BY

AS PULL THE BOAT
UP ONTO THE SHORE
TELL ME, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR

AND IN THE WHITE LINES
THE STEADY BREATHING THAT REVEALS
THE FLEETING BEAT OF THE HEART YOU WIELD

NO FEAR OF AN UNMARKED ROAD
TAKING YOU A PLACE THAT GOD ONLY KNOWS
THESE ROADS ARE PART OF THE WEAVE

AND IN THE CHAOS BUILDING
THERE’S A PLACE YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN GO
YOU’VE BEEN BUILDING ALL THESE YEARS

BEAT THE CHEST
DON’T BE AFRAID TO ROAR
TELL ME, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

WHAT DIRECTION ARE YOU GOING?
LEFT AND RIGHT ENDLESSLY?
SPINNING, SPINNING YOUR WHEELS?

credits

from Jumpstart EP, released May 21, 2023
Leslie Rich - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Grant Eull - Synths, Keyboards
Stephen Helvig - Programming, Keyboards, Drum Machine
Recorded, mixed and engineered - Stephen Helvig & Leslie Rich
Words and Music - Leslie Rich

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Leslie Rich Minneapolis, Minnesota

Belfast born singer-songwriter, Leslie Rich grew up listening to a mix of punk, acoustic songwriters and traditional Celtic music. Inspired by artists like Luka Bloom and Throwing Muses, Leslie became a hard working solo performer in the bar scene. He founded the Rocket Soul Choir in 1994, mainly as an acoustic response to the heavy, guitar-driven, Irish bands cropping up at that time ... more

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