Important Questions to Ask About Album IV; Possibly the writeup for the album (Patreon)

When Ace asked me who the album was for, it was difficult for me to pinpoint who my audience was. After a few days of reflection, I realized that the writing part of the album was over. Everything is set. Now I need to ask some very important questions before we even start recording: What is the thesis of the album? Who am I writing this for? Why do I even need to release this?

Let's start with the first question. The next album is about a lot of things. It's about the struggle of life and death. It's about unspoken, valid guilt as well as seemingly irrational, Catholic guilt. It's an autobiography inspired by St. Augustine, the first great psychologist and the father of the autobiography, who about his own life in The Confessions. This album is a mix of many thoughts, feelings, and personal anecdotes, lacking the coherence of a novel, because this shouldn't be a novel. It's more akin to a collection of short stories, which follow this order: (1) introducing oneself to strangers, (2) losing a friend, (3) dealing with grief, (4) dancing with desire, (5) yearning for love, (6) wrestling with God, (7) finding out that He wiped His ass, (8) crying to Him, (9) offering the future to Him, (10) seeing Him in everything, (11) laying down all regrets at His feet, (12) singing to a crowd about Him, (13) telling them about the journey, and (14) finally singing a song of praise to Him. Throughout all these stories, there is an unspoken yearning for forgiveness for an unspoken offense. Album IV is a compilation of personal stories about God and grief from the perspective of a guilt-ridden man who longs for love.

Who am I writing this for? This is a difficult question to answer. I've always written songs for other people, because I've always tried to consider other people in everything I do. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, I feel that I've reached a point in my life where more of this superficial selflessness would kill my soul. This next one is for me. (Funnily enough, doing it this way might help me speak to more people.)

Why do I need to release this? Because I am human, flesh and spirit. Sure, I can survive without putting this album out. Maybe. I could scratch this idea and write something more profitable, something that will make me money so that I can continue to pay rent and buy food. But isn't life more than food and clothing? My soul would be tortured if it wasn't allowed to express, to breathe, to sing, to connect, to love. I am an artist. I need to make art. I need to be seen. I need to be heard. I need to be human.

Dear listener, you can be human, too. You must be human; in all the ways you know how.

Nothing less, nothing more,
Benny