May Rio French Bath

When I was making the first May Rio LP, it was my first solo project, and I moved fast. I wrote songs quickly, recorded them quickly, and what resulted were little glimpses of a world I was finding my way into. By the time I started making French Bath, I had broken into that world, and could sit still in it, slow down. Flesh out the songs both in their writing and in their production. Easy Bammer (2021) showed me that I was capable of running with a solo project, and I carried that confidence over into French Bath. The songs are longer and pack a bit more of a punch. I drew inspiration from many places. My own lived experiences mostly, but also projected experiences of those around me, books I've read, and imagined narratives that I find funny. I also feel that I was able to go to more vulnerable places than I maybe would have gone before. With lyrics, I've often hid behind a sort of poetry, and I still enjoy writing that way. But I no longer feel that I need that protection in the way that I used to. My verse is more honest and expressive. On a lot of these songs, I dressed it down, and I'm a bit more exposed. Not all of the songs exist on the same plane of reality, but they're all neighbors.During the pandemic, a new community of music-making friends was formed. Despite shows not being a thing, and despite the music industry itself being a big fat question mark, we all wanted to keep making music and sharing it with each other. All for the sake of fun and joy. In the music scene I hung around more pre-pandemic, I had definitely witnessed (though not always) a self-seriousness and a self-righteousness I found to be exhausting. It was boring. With my friends making music now, there's no scarcity mindset. Everyone is pushing forward their own sound, and we're all pushing each other forward from behind the curtains. There's an understanding with everyone that what's good for one of us is good for all of us. It's incredibly special. A big reason I was able to engage in risk-taking while making this album had to do with the security in knowing I would have support from my community no matter what. May Rio is a solo project but I don't feel alone.