Title: “When The Fire Goes Out”
Artist: Brandon Caulfield
Album: Of Mice and Men (2020)
Release Date: July 18, 2020
Length: 4:27
Format: CD Single, Digital Download, 7” Single
Recorded: Blackbird Studios, Nashville, Tennessee – April 2020
Genre: Alternative Rock, Blues, Southern Rock
Label: Southbound Records
Writer(s): B. Caulfield
Producer(s): B. Caulfield, JD Mariner
“When The Fire Goes Out” is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter 'Brandon Caulfield' taken from his upcoming seventh studio album “Of Mice and Me” which is set to be released this summer. The track is released as a double single alongside another from the album titled “Sunday Night Blues” and will mark the fifteenth single released from the artist since his debut back in 2011. This latest effort follows “Straight On Out” which saw Caulfield adopt a more laid back Blues and 70's Southern California influenced sound which is a vibe which continues into this latest single and if pre-album promo is to be believed will continue throughout the majority of his upcoming album. Along with the previous single, this see's Caulfield shift things a little musically from an Alternative Rock sound into a more melodic sound.
It has been stated that the new record will be based around relationships and the challenges that they bring and this latest track alongside it's sister single certainly add to that statement, with “When The Fire Goes Out” we find Caulfield singing about the aftermath of the breakdown of a relationship as the title suggests and posing questions like, “What would you do when your dreams don't come true?” and how do you learn to move and find something new or something valuable enough to take it's place. In a recent local interview, he spoke about the song and it's view of the negative side of relationships.
“Contrary to popular belief, I do enjoy a positive song. I've written some in the past, even released some. But I think if you're consciously writing songs of the nature that I have been for this album, songs about the heart and relationships, you're going to find that they're not all going to be beautiful little ditties. Connecting is a magical thing, whether it's mentally or physically or both but it's never without it's difficulties. You can fall madly in love and it can be incredibly brief. It can be almost perfect and still fall to pieces right in front of you because we are humans and by that very nature, we're not perfect.
That's the sort of thought process I was in when I wrote this song, it's about acknowledging that things have come to their end and how you learn to accept and move on beyond that when it's something that was once very special.”Written and recorded by Brandon Caulfield in April 2020 at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, Tennessee and produced by himself and first time collaborator for this album Johnny Deacon Mariner. The single will be released alongside “Sunday Night Blues” on July 18, 2020 through his own record label 'Southbound Records' as a CD Single, Digital Download and 7” Single.
Song Description;An opening finger-picked acoustic guitar intro begins, giving the song a melodic intro as the repetitive pattern continues for the opening verse while Caulfield sings softly,
“Same sadness in the same old room/Old conversations and the same old blues/No ideas what else we can do/When the fire goes out.” which immediately sets his stall out in terms of the songs less than positive spin on a relationship highlighting the fact that they're running out of ideas on how to fix things and seemingly on the verge of accepting that things will end. This melodic acoustic intro continues but it accompanied by a blues guitar which is heard towards the end of the songs second verse while Caulfield sings softly again but with slightly more urgency,
“Those sparks used to flicker but they soon fade out/Embers have turned to ashes now/It's so sad when there's nothing left to cry about/When the fire goes out/Oh, when the fire goes out.”As we arrive to the next verse, a soft drum beat arrives alongside the finger picked acoustic melody and the lead guitar strumming which adds a little more energy to the song as the pace picks up slightly, Caulfield's vocal delivery becomes slightly more powerful as he sings,
“We'd always ask/What would you do when your dreams come true?/But we'd never ask/What would you do when they don't?/What would we do when this love burns out/Or this home becomes an old haunt?.” as he sings about the turmoil felt in the closing stages of a relationships breakdown, indicating that they regularly discussed the positive aspect of their future plans together but never gave thought to the idea that it could fail which feels very much true to life.
The music continues in a similar vein while Caulfield essentially throws in the towel on the relationship and accepts defeat, singing,
” Well I think time is too precious to keep holding on/It appears to me that all hope is gone/But we keep on singing for the sake of the song/When the fire goes out/Oh, when the fire goes out.” which indicates that he's at the point of accepting it being over, but is still very much torn, noticeably in a line from the verse using a song as a metaphor, stating that even though it hurts to keep singing a song that carries so much emotional weight to it, they find they both continue to sing because of how beautiful the song is to them.
He then delivers one final verse,
“You say that you're afraid of starting over again/Just like the fire's afraid of the rain/But we have nothing to lose and everything to gain/We'll remember what it's like to be in love/Instead of this pain.” and a final recounting of the intro for closures sake,
“Same sadness in the same old room/Old conversations and the same old blues/No ideas of what else we can do/When the fire goes out/When the fire goes out/Oh, when the fire goes out/When the fire goes out”
“When The Fire Goes Out”“Same sadness in the same old room
Old conversations and the same old blues
No ideas what else we can do
When the fire goes out
Those sparks used to flicker but they soon fade out
Embers have turned to ashes now
It's so sad when there's nothing left to cry about
When the fire goes out
Oh, when the fire goes out
We'd always ask
What would you do when your dreams come true?
But we'd never ask
What would you do when they don't?
What would we do when this love burns out
Or this home becomes an old haunt?
Well I think time is too precious to keep holding on
It appears to me that all hope is gone
But we keep on singing for the sake of the song
When the fire goes out
Oh, when the fire goes out
You say that you're afraid of starting over again
Just like the fire's afraid of the rain
But we have nothing to lose and everything to gain
We'll remember what it's like to be in love
Instead of this pain
Same sadness in the same old room
Old conversations and the same old blues
No ideas of what else we can do
When the fire goes out
When the fire goes out
Oh, when the fire goes out
When the fire goes out”
Credits & Personnel;CREDITSProduced by Brandon Caulfield & Johnny Deacon Mariner
Engineered by Frankie Dallas
Recorded at Blackbird Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Production Manager: Adeline Mulligan
Guitar Tech: Sven Jorgensen
Instrumental Assistant: Lindsay Browning
Executive Producer: Brandon Caulfield & Adeline Mulligan
PERSONNELBrandon Caulfield – vocals, acoustic guitar, lyrics, production
Dylan O'Connor – lead guitar, backing vocals
Anthony Browne – drums, percussion
Sarah Jade Harrison – backing vocals
Johnny Deacon Mariner – producer
Frankie Dallas – engineer
Adeline Mulligan – production manager, executive producer
Sven Jorgensen – guitar tech
Lindsay Browning – instrumental assistant
Title: “Sunday Night Blues”
Artist: Brandon Caulfield
Album: Of Mice and Men (2020)
Release Date: July 18, 2020
Length: 4:14
Format: CD Single, Digital Download, 7” Single
Recorded: Blackbird Studios, Nashville, Tennessee – June 2020
Genre: Alternative Rock, Blues, Southern Rock
Label: Southbound Records
Writer(s): B. Caulfield
Producer(s): B. Caulfield, JD Mariner
“Sunday Night Blues” is a song written by American singer-songwriter 'Brandon Caulfield', the second of a double single alongside “When The Fire Goes Out”, marking his sixteenth single released in his nine year career, and taken from his upcoming seventh studio album “Of Mice and Men”, set for release this summer. This latest single follows on with the general theme and tone that was previously announced for his album, with “Straight On Out” and “When The Fire Goes Out” both being songs about the difficulties of love. It was confirmed that Caulfield was going with a Blues and laid-back 70's California vibe and this latest effort see's Caulfield pushing the latter element to the forefront, dropping the blues lead guitar sound that was prominent on it's sister single “When The Fire Goes Out” for a combination of acoustic and slide-guitar alongside a slightly more fuller and warmer sound.
Recently discussing his latest album and going through the individual songs from the album, Caulfield had the following to say when discussing “Sunday Night Blues” as his latest release,
“For me, a Sunday evening has always been a night for reflection and evenings of silent reflection can be painful depending on the situation you're currently living through. I've had those reflective evenings being positive but more times than not, those sort of evenings fill me with self-doubt and anxieties alongside the obvious loneliness that comes hand in hand with that. I look at this song as a fallout that comes to a head on a lonely Sunday evening, where poor choices are made but made for the right reasons.
An inability to sleep and the constant feeling of restlessness can be dangerous for anyone and often times we will reach for the thing that we know will cure you in that moment however briefly. We reach for the phone and try to put back together broken pieces despite all the logic and reason quietly nudging you in the back telling you this isn't smart. Sometimes your head makes the right choice, sometimes your heart just takes control. At it's core, that's very much what this song is. It feels like a different step for me, in terms of my songwriting.”Written and recorded by Brandon Caulfield in June 2020 at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, Tennessee and produced by himself and first time collaborator for this album Johnny Deacon Mariner. The single will be released alongside “When The Fire Goes Out” on July 18, 2020 through his own record label 'Southbound Records' as a CD Single, Digital Download and 7” Single.
Song Description;An acoustic guitar opening quickly accompanied by the sounds of a bass guitar, organ and drums give this single a fuller sound than it's partner single “When The Fire Goes Out”, with Caulfield delivering his opening lyrics in a more prominent vocal,
“I've grown so tired/Of those Sunday night blues/Emotions so fragile/It's taken it's toll on me/A night so dangerous/I know it's taken it's toll on you too.” as he sings about the fragility of that common loneliness and emptiness often associated with Sunday evenings as he sings about emotions being fragile and the evening as a whole being dangerous, which we later find out that the danger lies in caving in to your loneliness and re-connecting with someone you're probably better off not re-connecting with.
As we arrive at the songs hook we're given the addition of the slide-guitar by Avery Wyatt and female backing vocals from longtime friend and collaborator Alexia Quinn whom also provides the Organ as Caulfield sings,
“Sleepless nights under restless stars/With the moon laughing at me/Memories of us dancing around in my mind/And the clock reads “just go to sleep” shows a version of Caulfield's songwriting that hasn't really been shown before with it's visual imagery from an artist that has spent the entirety of his career being literal almost to a fault, he continues,
“I've written the message a hundred times/I sleep better with you by my side/But my head's telling my heart not to hit send tonight.” which see's Caulfield show his vulnerability and weakness in a very modern day and common place issue.
As the music continues in full flow, not overpowering but not as vulnerable as an acoustic-led track giving the song heart alongside fight, Caulfield again delivers his lyrics with passion,
”And my heart's telling my head maybe this time we'll get it right/But I just worry this is not how you feel/I wonder if you stopped loving me.” again handing over his vulnerability and laying it out there for everyone to see as he sings of his inner-most thoughts and worries, thoughts and feelings that are about as relatable as anything he's written in his career so far,
”We were so young and full of life/Where does the time go?/If only I could take take our ending and rewrite it/I hope you know that I would/Go back on the one thing I truly loved/The thing that I fucked up.” and again the songs main theme of vulnerability comes to the forefront as he flat out concedes that the relationship is in the state it currently is because at some point he “fucked up” and essentially only has himself to blame. The song's hook returns once more before the song comes to an end with the final chords of his acoustic guitar being stuck.
“Sunday Night Blues”“I've grown so tired
Of those Sunday night blues
Emotions so fragile
It's taken it's toll on me
A night so dangerous
I know it's taken it's toll on you too
Sleepless nights under restless stars
With the moon laughing at me
Memories of us dancing around in my mind
And the clock reads “just go to sleep”
I've written the message a hundred times
I sleep better with you by my side
But my head's telling my heart not to hit send tonight
And my heart's telling my head maybe this time we'll get it right
But I just worry this is not how you feel
I wonder if you stopped loving me
We were so young and full of life
Where does the time go?
If only I could take take our ending and rewrite it
I hope you know that I would
Go back on the one thing I truly loved
The thing that I fucked up
Sleepless nights under restless stars
With the moon laughing at me
Memories of us dancing around in my mind
And the clock reads “just go to sleep”
I've written the message a hundred times
I sleep better with you by my side
But my head's telling my heart not to hit send tonight
And my heart's telling my head maybe this time we'll get it right
But I just worry this is not how you feel
I wonder if you stopped loving me”
Credits & Personnel;CREDITSProduced by Brandon Caulfield & Johnny Deacon Mariner
Engineered by Frankie Dallas
Recorded at Blackbird Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Production Manager: Adeline Mulligan
Guitar Tech: Sven Jorgensen
Instrumental Assistant: Lindsay Browning
Executive Producer: Brandon Caulfield & Adeline Mulligan
PERSONNELBrandon Caulfield – vocals, acoustic guitar, lyrics, production
Avery Wyatt – slide-guitar, backing vocals
Flynn McCarthy – bass guitar, backing vocals
Alexia Quinn – organ, backing vocals
Anthony Browne – drums, percussion
Johnny Deacon Mariner – producer
Frankie Dallas – engineer
Adeline Mulligan – production manager, executive producer
Sven Jorgensen – guitar tech
Lindsay Browning – instrumental assistant
