The power behind growth and healing - the two most significant themes in Muddy Creek & Co.'s music.
Why do we do anything at all?
Muddy Creek &. Co challenges this existential question in their new song, "Fighters & Lovers." The newest single is also the first track and the name of the upcoming second studio album from Muddy Creek & Co. In an interview with Maggee Bleyer on her show Underground Sound on 89.1 The Bash, the band described their second album as a continuation of the story from their first album, In Front of God and Nobody. In the first album, Parker Fyffe, the lead singer of Muddy Creek & Co., tells a story of hurt, distrust, and taking a path toward healing from past emotional harm. From the heartbreaking but honest theme of the album to the lyrical realness of the songs, Fyffe takes a vulnerable approach to his music.
Fyffe took a brave leap toward change in In Front of God and Nobody. This next album, Fighters & Lovers, is the exploration of where Fyffe landed when he took his leap of faith.
Fighters & Lovers: a review
"Fighters & Lovers" is the mission statement of Muddy Creek & Co. "Fighters & Lovers" urges a common theme humanity is always attempting to seek, which is loving people from all different social groups and walks of life.
"We want to spread the love to all people around," Ian Kemper said in the Muddy Creek & Co. interview on Underground Sound. "We really want our music to transcend genre and different social groups. [We're all about] loving people [...] straight up."
In the chorus, the anthem, "It's for my fighters and lovers // Sisters and brothers // And any others that breathe," strengthens the passionate message behind Muddy Creek & Co.'s music. The band has always motivated others to pour their love into other people and into the world with its catchy rhythms and lyrics. The story from In Front of God and Nobody is wrapped in a mixture of unplaced grief and a hopeful future. "Fighters & Lovers" seeks to make amends with the past and celebrate what's to come. Muddy Creek & Co. is adamant about sharing their deep appreciation for all of the quirks of what it means to be human.
Overall, the song's instruments and upbeat vibe are still present in Muddy Creek & Co.'s classic Y'Allternative (country + alt-rock) fusion sound. "Fighters & Lovers" takes on more of a country sound this time around, but the alternative feel emerges within Fyffe's vocals and the harmonies. Muddy Creek & Co.'s songs have an impressive tendency to warp you into nostalgia: sunsets, long nights spent sitting on the porch, midnight thoughts, fireflies, cicadas, full moons, hot days, southern winds, the stillness of the countryside--all these aspects of life are in Muddy Creek & Co.'s music. "Fighters & Lovers" makes you want to drive around with your friends or sit with someone you love on the porch--either way, the song reminds you of human connection at its most wholesome core. Whether the human connection is found being with someone else or within yourself, the image of boundless love should flash into your mind when listening to "Fighters & Lovers."
"We want to spread the love to all people around." - Muddy Creek & Co. member Ian Kemper.
"And I realize why I do anything // Why I do anything at all" are the two lyrics within the bridge. The bridge, leading into the triumphant love seeping from the chorus, amplifies why Muddy Creek & Co. do anything at all. The band, in this bridge, is almost transcending these questions onto the listener. Although rhetorical, Muddy Creek & Co. have found their purpose from these experiential questions. Performing, recording, writing music, playing instruments--this is the Muddy Creek & Co. experience. In Front of God and Nobody, holds a bittersweet ending while Fighters & Lovers plans to paint a brighter picture of an unknown future. The band is ready to face this new world they've discovered within their own lyrics.
Take this challenge from Muddy Creek & Co. and think: why do you do anything at all?
You can stream Muddy Creek & Co.'s newest single, "Fighters & Lovers," on all music streaming platforms. Learn more about Muddy Creek & Co. by checking out their website or read more about them from my other blog post, "Entering the Y'Allternative Scene with Muddy Creek & Co."
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