American Aquarium has released new single ‘Messy As a Magnolia, ahead of their appearance at The Long Road festival in August.
The song is inspired by the Magnolia tree outside of American Aquarium songwriter and band leader BJ Barham's office/writing space. ‘Messy As a Magnolia' is taken from the band's new album ‘The Fear of Standing Still', which is released on 26th July 2024 via Losing Side Records/Thirty Tigers.
“’Messy As A Magnolia” is a song about the work we have to put into the relationships that matter,” explains Barham. “At its root, it’s a love song. Not the kind of love that Disney movies try to sell us, but real love. Real love is hard. Real love can be ugly. It requires year-round attention and dedication. For every moment we get to marvel at love in bloom, we must also appreciate how much work went into that love. This song is for my wife and the love that we have nurtured over the last thirteen years. A thank you for seeing the good in me, even when I couldn’t. It’s a song for the people in our lives that put in the work of nurturing the look instead of just cutting down the damn tree.”
‘The Fear of Standing Still' was recorded live at the legendary Sunset Sound in Los Angeles. It's the band's second collaboration with producer Shooter Jennings and is a departure from the stripped-down sound of 2022's ‘Chicamacomico'.
“In our live show the band’s like a freight train that never lets up, and for this record I really wanted to showcase how big and anthemic we can be,” notes Barham, whose bandmates include guitarist Shane Boeker, pedal-steel guitarist Neil Jones, keyboardist Rhett Huffman, drummer Ryan Van Fleet, and bassist Alden Hedges.
Mixed by four-time Grammy winner Trina Shoemaker (Queens of the Stone Age, Emmylou Harris), The Fear of Standing Still shares its title with one of the first songs Barham wrote for the album.
American Aquarium will be coming to the UK in August and playing at The Long Road Festival on Friday 23rd
