“Say What It Means” was one of the songs we wrote after we got together and started working on the first ideas I had brought along to the group. This popped up after a few months of band time. I believe it was actually the first track that gave us a victorious feeling as if we’d conquered something. That probably was the first time we felt confident working on these songs and playing them together. I recall we didn’t get this feel right away, working several beats and grooves until it finally fell into shape one day. And we didn’t look back.

Steven came up with a gorgeous bass line pretty fast and that’s still my favorite part of this song. That beautiful bass melody in the chorus is just so addictive. During our pre production this track grew into one of our favorites as we layered guitar parts and vocal harmonies. Initially we thought we hadn’t done such a great job recording it at Trypoul Recording Studios, but when the vocals came on, it emerged as a little gem.

Lyrically, this song was fueled by my experiences with dishonest people who disguise their true intentions. I developed the lyrics to support people when they’re at their most vulnerable and delicate state of mind. Yet, this can be very powerful as well. So here’s a plea to look at strength and vulnerability as two sides of the same thing. We hope it can help people to speak up and speak out to actually say what they mean. It’s everyone’s right to do so.

In the first verse, we sing about the speed and the pressure put on you by others who have very little to contribute, apart from adding more pressure and being more demanding. These are a bunch of vultures circling overhead, ready to feast on others’ work.

The chorus then calls for straight talking authenticity without the bullshit.

In the second verse, we investigate the fake smiles you have to carry all day long. It’s about pretending, about being stuck in a boardroom at a bank with a bunch of grey suits and ties and having to sell them an idea they don’t really care about. It happens. So here’s an honest call for authenticity and straight talking in the shape of a powerpop song. We hope young people can find a little strength and support in our call.

On a songwriting level, the verses have two parts, the first part has this sweeping, open feel and meandering vocal melody, the second part is much tighter. Don’t you just love how the drums accentuate all these different feelings throughout the song?
I was trying to get that Traveling Wilburys feel that is both laid-back and pumping at the same time with sweet vocal harmonies and guitars doubling them note by note. In the back there’s Nashville guitars to create that wide and chiming, jangly 12-string guitar sound we love so much.

In the accompanying music video for “Say What It Means” by director Aline Boyen and DOP Michel Rosendaal and produced by Wenneker in Belgium, we watch how a group of teenagers chase another teenage girl. She’s being hunted and bullied and has to escape the glances, preoccupations and judgements of others. This creates a strong tension because a very grown-up theme is played by a group of kids who should be representing honesty and authenticity. These kids start to yell brutally and run towards the protagonist. They chase her down in a scary event that ends in darkness on a deserted country road. The story shows how we sometimes deal with other cultures, ideas, feelings and opinions. Who can escape the herd? How can we find the strength and the confidence to act our spirits? This is what we wish for everyone. Especially kids growing up with social media, unintentional attention and everything that can go wrong with being misunderstood. Just say what it means. Not what it seems.