Introspection is a key part of life that can sometimes sneak up on you when you least expect it. For Tennessee-based artist William Wild, it came in like a gust of wind, scattering thoughts about for the recording of his new full-length album Push Ups, set to drop on March 20th. But before we can explore this "emotional map" as he describes it, we are given a chance to get familiar with its bearings with the premiere of his newest single "Holy Ghost (where did my life go?)" ahead of its official release tomorrow.
Delicate and supple, "Holy Ghost (where did my life go?)" strums along a wandering man's musings on life and his role within it. Though his self-doubt is thinly veiled in the poetic lyrics, it feels liberated amidst the gentle acoustic guitar and harmonized vocals. It's a slow melody that challenges the most potent question—"where did my life go?" As if the simple gesture of elongating the question will slow down time enough to find the answer.
Simplicity may be the driving force in this track, but it digs deep in subtle movements, alluding to the cracks we all try to fill. Fuzzy guitar picks chirp along to the ethereal notes as the song devolves, far enough from the noise to not pose as a threat, but close enough to serve as a reminder of the darkness we all bear. A theme close to his heart when it came to writing the album: “I found some solace in creating 'Push Ups'. You don’t have to take the route of making everything look okay all of the time. There’s power in being honest and open.”
More than just a therapeutic release, Push Ups will be William Wild's first on Sony Music Masterworks, which you can pre-save here.