"'Bushes' is irresistible, absurdly rich in references even though it is extremely original, and is one of the great releases of the year.“
You know the feeling. You know the situation. At some point in your life, you’ve encountered a couple consisting of two people who simply shouldn’t be together, and yet they can’t stay apart. It’s the far less starry-eyed side of a relationship.
Maybe it was you and someone else. Maybe it’s the kind of relationship you’re in now. Breaking up is hard. It hurts, and it means if you want to move on and be with someone new, you have to reveal who you are all over again. Emotionally, that can be an exhausting feeling. So, perhaps you’ve stayed somewhere you don’t really belong to avoid all that.
In the song, I call that place “the bushes.”
I narrate this song. It's a pop-driven keyboard-heavy track with lots of harmonies. I take you through the feelings of co-dependence, hurt, anger, and the hopelessness of ending or continuing the relationship.
Many have said the highlight of the track is the fast rap-like singing in the bridge that begins over video game sounds sung from the guy’s point of view, and the follow-up section is sung from the girl’s perspective. The guy’s part showcases his cruelty when he says the girl needs to bring along a friend when she comes to his parties so she doesn’t annoy him. The girl sings of how she can’t stop trying to be with him, but also how she can’t forgive him. So, it continues – the pushing, the pulling, the fighting, the elation, the frustration, the longing, and being unable to control emotions.
It was recorded in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle and produced by Jakael Tristam (sound engineer) and myself who both played musical parts. The mastering was done by Rachel Field of Resonat Mastering.