Track By Track: Strand Of Oaks – ‘Hard Love’

Tim Showalter writes for Clash...

Tim Showalter knows when he's gone too far – but it tends to be the morning after.

Acting on instinct, his work veers from hallucinatory abandon to poignant regret, tackling every shade of emotion along the way.

This stunning array of ideas falls under the bracket of Stand For Oaks, the umbrella term for his whims, passions, and other musical urges.

New album 'Hard Love' is out now, and it's songwriting hewn from the only source material he has: real life.

So expect stories about life on the road, his collapsing marriage, and the near-death of his brother. In a press note, he comments:

"For me, there are always two forces at work: the side that's constantly on the hunt for the perfect song, and the side that's naked in the desert screaming at the moon. It's about finding a place where neither side is compromised, only elevated."

Check out a full track by track guide penned by Strand Of Oaks below.

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Hard Love
Bold move to open with the title track. It probably has a deeper meaning, but I think its essentially me waiting for my wife to get home from work so we can GET DOWN.

Radio Kids
I first heard Modern Lovers late at night when I was 12. Took me five years to find out the band name. That was beautiful and innocent. Now my back hurts when I get up.

Everything
This is directly inspired by Underworld's 'Cowgirl' and watching Karl dance like the sexiest wizard I've ever seen. I also finally learned a blues scale on guitar, so the riff is very fun to play.

Salt Brothers
Just a typical evening of clinging to your band-mate's shirt avoiding the flaming obelisk in the sky, while you indoctrinate a hip hop entourage to the genius of Jane's Addiction.

On The Hill
This recording was completely dependent on the whether or not Bez would be able to dance to it. The rest of the story I'll just leave to privacy of me and 1200 Australians doing what one does on a dusty hill.

Cry
The best nights give way to the darkest mornings (or mid-afternoons), where you must confront who you might have hurt in the process. 'Cry' is all the people I love basically telling me I've been an asshole.

Quit It
This song is my reaction of hearing what people said in 'Cry'. Why I'm at this party with no one I know. I want to be home with cats and go the grocery store with my wife.

Rest Of It
'Rest Of It' is me saying fuck it all, I'm going to burn it all down one more time with buddies. Jason Anderson also played the nastiest guitar solo I've ever heard. Thank God he chose guitar instead of a life a crime. Music saves!

Taking Acid And Talking To My Brother
This song is not about acid. It's a celebration that my angel of a little brother Jon is still with us. He now has a heart defibrillator that makes him look like a member of the Borg and we both think that is very bad ass. I love you Jon.

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'Hard Love' is out now on Dead Oceans.

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