Whether original or discovered, songs have always come into my life out of need. I think every song in this record is about a beginning hidden in an ending, hidden reclamations of ways I've disappointed myself. The record opens with Backup Plan… because I think being absolutely and freely myself was always stupidly my back up plan. If I couldn't succeed at being the person I was pretending to be, if I couldn't want the things I'd been pretending to want, only then would I give myself permission to just be me. Then came Thérèse and Mermaid Bar – Thérèse is about a misunderstood girl trapped in a painting and Mermaid Bar is about a girl who tries to end her life by jumping into the Hudson River and instead becomes a mermaid. Bloomed Into Blue was originally a poem I had written with a friend in high school called the B-Word Muse. It was a tribute to Ariel, to Eddie Sedgwick, Marie Thérèse, and so many more… Women who were always the subject of art and not the creator. Worthy of being spoken about but not worthy of being listened to. This record reckons with childhood in Sweet Tooth and Driver, with regret in Luna Moth, Crazy Kid and Sticky Little Words, with anger in South Elroy, Restless Moon and Over. Above all this record wants to be about rebirth and acceptance. I'm crawling back to myself. Thank you for watching- Maya Hawke