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The Trouble With Flight

by Ryan Van Slooten

supported by
Alex Martin
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Michael Novitzki
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Colleen
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1.
Say the Word 02:21
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Say the word and I will try to capture all the stars To help to guide you on your way when you're lost in the dark Say the word and I can be the pistol by your side Keeping enemies at bay wherever they may hide I'll always love you more than you will know All that lives is born to die and return back to earth Take two handfuls of this life remember what it's worth Say the word I'll part the clouds so you can see the sun Glimmer off your shining waters where you're river runs I'll always love you more than you will know There will come a day when I will have to let you go Streaking 'cross the atmosphere while I'm basking in your glow The view is ever-changing but the thing that always shows I'll always love you more than you will know I'll always love you more than you will know I'll always love you more than you will know
2.
My Stupid Brain 03:54
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Somebody tell my stupid heart to stop listening to my stupid brain I’ve been losing sleep and losing track of thoughts that aren’t totally insane Preoccupied with this overwhelming obsession That’s taking me around in the wrong direction And I don’t want to live a life where I’m always wondering what else it should be Spontaneous ambitions overwhelmed by responsibilities In this challenge of the heart versus the mind The heart should win the battle every time And I don’t see why I’m always standing in my own way When all I want is to feel the blood rush through my veins Raising fists in frustration, beating down my soul Wasting time trying to fill in where there never was a hole Somebody tell my stupid brain to start taking things to heart Running circles around this track ain’t no better than falling apart But if these thoughts don’t get me anywhere Then I won’t find the heart to care
3.
Pummeled Into Sand 03:39
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Feel the urge, getting under your skin Waiting for, the fire to be lit Burning up every fiber and inch of your soul Giving in to the feeling of losing control Crumble like rocks being pummeled into sand Sifting through your fingers from the palm of your hand Feel the rush, course through your veins A rising flood, will take you away Push the limits every time that you straddle that line Where you’re going doesn’t matter as much as the ride Hold on to that feeling for as long as you can God only knows when you’ll feel it again Crumble like rocks being pummeled into sand Sifting through your fingers from the palm of your hand
4.
What I'm Doing Here 03:37
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Blink my eyes and find myself alone behind the wheel A summer sky that shines so bright off the open road it reveals Keys are jammed into the ignition, I guess that means it’s time to go Turn it over and hit the gas and head into the great unknown Not sure what I’m doing here, but I’ve never been so without a care Rolling all of the windows down and push it a hundred and five My heart is beating right out of my chest but I’ve never felt so alive I should be terrified but somehow it feels like I have nothing to fear The radio is blasting the tunes of every song that I want to hear But I still have to wonder just what am I doing here Pull it off to the side of the road so I can take a good look around It’s everywhere that I’ve ever been but there’s not another soul to be found I drop the keys and I start walking a strange little smirk on my face With every step a familiar sighting, a story etched on every space And as the sun starts setting And the lights start dimming up Every door starts to open
5.
Land Mines in the Snow 04:35
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Failing to separate the days The run from one into the next Can’t seem to find a pulse to chase I’m barely breathing now All of these walls are closing in Escape to corners in my mind Waiting for something to begin But hope is hard to find Until I’m just so sick of it And I head into the cold ‘Cause I just can’t stand myself anymore Sidestepping land mines buried deep in the snow Feeling every single heartbeat come and go Lay it all out on the line ‘Cause I know I can’t survive Gotta keep that fire burning in my eyes If there’s a moment left That isn’t frozen to the earth Dig ’til my fingers bleed Dig deep into the dirt Because I’m just so sick of it Feeling trapped and all alone I just can’t stand myself anymore REPEAT CHORUS Sidestepping land mines buried deep in the snow Time is the enemy when it keeps moving slow I’m not dying here curled up on the floor I won’t stand for this life anymore REPEAT CHORUS
6.
Fields 03:43
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I laid the bricks and set the stone Stood up the walls here on my own Then I locked myself away for so long The windows all are painted shut And old memories are building up While my heart lay in pieces all scattered around From repeatedly falling against the ground In the field of my broken love I prayed for an angel to come To save me from all that I do and have done Now here you are out on my step Not sure what I am to expect I’ve not much to offer you in my humble abode For reasons I could not have seen You’re not here to rescue me You stumbled upon me while lost in the dark When you’re nights had gone cold in search of a spark In the field of your broken love You prayed for a savior to come To save you from all that you do and have done You’ve travelled far to find me here Could it be more than circumstance We thought we had nothing left to give But everyone needs a second chance And all along to save ourselves We’d have to save somebody else We’d have to save somebody else In the field of our broken love We’re holding ourselves above And we’ll take anything any way that it comes Yeah we’ll take anything any way that it comes Yeah we’ll take anything any way that it comes

about

Ryan Van Slooten's new EP, "The Trouble With Flight", ushers in a new era for the solo artist. Nearly 4 years since his last release, the award winning "Victory March", he has now taken on the role of both producer and engineer, in addition to writing and performing all the parts heard on this EP.

Van Slooten is the ultimate DIY (do-it-yourself) artist. Never one to back down from a challenge, he began assembling his home studio over two and a half years ago. On top of learning all the ins and outs of recording during that time, he was also reacquainting himself with drums and bass. "I'd had some prior recording experience, but it had been two plus decades since I'd really sat down behind a drum kit, but it was just something I really wanted to do again, and it's been really fun."

"The Trouble With Flight" is very aptly named, as it was not without it's challenges and setbacks. It was nearly complete once before, in January of 2017, when the hard drive containing all of the recorded material, plus many other recordings, abruptly crashed and wiped out everything. "I had no choice but to start over from scratch. It was pretty devastating, after everything I'd already put into it. I wasn't down too long though and decided to see it as an opportunity to learn from my mistakes and make it better. I learned a lot from that experience, in many ways."

All 6 songs on this EP have a different kind of vibe and theme. Where "Say the Word" is a powerful, lush song about love, the very next song is an almost alt-country jam called "My Stupid Brain", which deals with crippling self doubt. There's a funkier feel to "Pummeled Into Sand", which talks about addiction, followed by "What I'm Doing Here", which is about death and spiritualism. Rounding out the EP is "Land Mines in the Snow", a song about depression, and "Fields", a gripping love ballad. "It wasn't necessarily a conscious decision to lay out the EP this way, but I like how some pretty intense feelings are bookended by songs about love for those who matter most. I think that kind of encapsulates who I am pretty well."

credits

released September 15, 2017

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Ryan Van Slooten Minneapolis, Minnesota

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