Today we are thrilled to premiere the new video for singer/songwriter Christina Ward’s song, ‘Calendar’, off her upcoming release of the same name. It’s a harrowing personal journey, and the multi-instrumentalist was kind enough to also walk us through the EP track-by-track, ahead of its release this Friday. Read her answers to our foolproof questionnaire below, and pre-save the EP on Spotify.
CALENDAR
About: This song is about setting a date to try and begin again; to kick a bad habit, be more mindful, etc. It’s the hope that we might be able to control our lives to some extent instead of it being pre-written or something.
Favourite Lyric: ‘…retelling tales of the dark days catching up…’
Micro-review (5 words or less): Early morning coffee dreams
If this song was a month, what month would it be and why?: January – that’s usually when people try to schedule a life change.
ALONE
About: ‘Alone’ is about being a kid and hanging out at raves in Philly with my friends. It’s about being reckless and impulsive. And doing too many drugs.
Favourite Lyric: ‘Spin so fast it pins you to the ground / Can’t get up to see the view / to see the span of nothing between you and I…’
Micro-review: Kaleidoscopic tripped out dance party
If this song was a month…: November. It just has a late fall feel to it…
TIME
About: It’s about being in love with someone and wishing you had more time with them. It is the acknowledgment that nothing lasts forever.
Favourite Lyric: ‘Past life damages that I’ll get credit for…’
Micro-review: Melancholic midnight thunderstorm
If this song was a month…: February. Everything is bare branches and gray and it’s cold.
CATHEDRAL
About: ‘Cathedral’ is the story of when I left home as a kid to live in New Orleans with a few of my friends. Every lyric actually happened.
Favourite Lyric: ‘Drank in the square with all the readers in town / She told me I’d be broke and never settle down…’
Micro-review: A dark non-fiction short story
If this song was a month…: August – that’s the month I left New Orleans.
TONIGHT
About: Tonight is about the magical first moments of falling in love with someone, and not being sure if you are ready for it.
Favourite Lyric: ‘Make believe redemption, too much medication…’ – It explains the idea of attempting to be a better person with a new partner because it’s a kind of fresh start, but it’s difficult to let someone get to know all the parts of you.
Micro-review: A dark romance novel
If this song was a month…: May. Feels like spring to me…
HIDING
About: *Trigger Warning* I was in a very abusive relationship when I was pretty young. It’s about learning to forgive and move on from it. Experiences like that never go away – it’s about learning to live with them in a way that isn’t totally self-destructive.
Favourite Lyric: ‘Sometimes I hear their songs rise and fall…’ – I used to sit outside of the apartment really early in the morning before school, smoke cigarettes, and listen to the sound of birds waking. It made me feel less alone and like somehow things weren’t always going to be so horrible. It was a very dark time in my life.
Micro-review: Maybe you delete your Tinder?
If this song was a month…: September – makes me think of the beginning of the school year.
COSTUMES
About: ‘Costumes’ is about the feeling I had walking home from grade school as a kid back to a dysfunctional household. My mom is schizophrenic and she was unmedicated for much of my childhood, so I never knew what I was coming home to. School was the worst, but so was going home. It was like everywhere sucked.
Favourite Lyric: ‘Life’s a costume party, but I’m too tired to care…’
Micro-review: PB&J lunch with no snacks
If this song was a month…: June. Reminds me of the school year ending.
