Late last year, singer/guitarist Trevor O’Neill of Possible Oceans found himself alone in a high rise hotel room overlooking Mexico City with only his makeshift mobile recording studio to keep him company. There to promote the group’s last release, the Phase Change EP, a melody had popped into O’Neill’s head to fit the words jotted down earlier in an Uber on the way to a radio performance. By the time the sun came up the next day the first demo for the new single “Falling Backwards” was done.
“After six days alone in a city where everyone speaks a different language and you don’t know anyone, you can really get in your head. Mexico City is one of the most inspiring places I’ve ever been and I love it, but these solo trips are challenging for me. It’s a powerful experience to be cut off from your routines like that. Having so much time alone with my thoughts really made me reflect on my patterns and habits, especially my tendency to let circumstances dictate my mood, which has often led me to depression. This song is about recognizing your demons, calling them (and yourself) out, and being kind of reborn in the process.”
Upon returning from Mexico City, the band decamped to producer / drummer Jules de Gasperis’s (Low Hum, James Supercave, Bleached) Highland Park studio to bring a full band version of the song to life. After much frenzied experimentation they emerged with a song that had them all buzzing. O’Neill reflects, “We haven’t known Jules for very long but we felt an instant kinship with him and the process really flowed so easily and felt so comfortable. It all just came together.”
A new recording in hand, the group tapped friend and frequent collaborator, photographer James Juarez, to shoot a video. Directed by O’Neill and shot by Juarez, the video follows a man as he runs through his morning routine on auto pilot. Somewhere along his commute, he breaks from his path and embarks on a journey that leads him to unexpected places and new perspectives.
With “Falling Backwards,” Possible Oceans continues to push the boundaries of their sound, one which has already attracted the attention of fans around the world. “Falling Backwards” and the accompanying video will be released digitally in June 2019.