Athens singer-songwriter Elijah Johnston jokingly refers to himself as a “recovering lo-fi addict,” and his recent work has indeed found him ditching murky home recordings in favor of a clean, crisp, full band sound.
The Wonderful EP, released this spring, was a well-crafted exercise in warmly nostalgic indie-pop à la Real Estate, and now, Johnston is prepping a new full-length, which he’ll celebrate with a release show at the 40 Watt Club on Jan. 9.
Today, we’re thrilled to premiere that album’s first single, “Find Your Bliss,” a taut and thoughtful rocker whose driving first half gives way to an introspective instrumental outro.
Says Johnston:
This is my favorite song I’ve ever made. When I wrote it, I was faced with an existential crisis—ome of the most important people in my life were about to leave for different lives and different paths all across the country, and I didn’t know how to imagine life without them. ‘Find Your Bliss’ is about making peace with that fear by honoring the lessons I learned from those people: that fulfillment doesn’t just come from success or winning or a good job, but from the people you care about being active in your life.
Check it out below:
Like what you just read? Support Flagpole by making a donation today. Every dollar you give helps fund our ongoing mission to provide Athens with quality, independent journalism.
