What was the creative process like for this particular "Something // Way (Something in the Way)?"

I wrote S//W when I was feeling super blocked creatively and in my life. I was getting really frustrated and I felt like I couldn’t form a coherent thought. That’s where that intro came from, just pure ethos into the guitar. The rest of the song happened pretty quickly as this kind of protest against this thing inside me that was holding me back. When I got to the final chorus, I realized I had to end it on a hopeful note because I wasn’t ready to give up on myself and what I was doing.

Were there any challenges or breakthrough moments during the songwriting process for "Something // Way?"

The biggest challenge was just getting started. Bashing on that minor chord was the most honest thing I could have done in that moment haha. Then having the chorus shift to the major of the same chord really helped add some levity to the song where it’s needed. I hadn’t used that move before and I was very happy with how those pieces fit together.

Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for "Something // Way?"

The vocal session for this was a particularly smooth one. I was working on a batch of songs together with my co-producer Howard [Redekopp] and some of them took a lot of finessing to get the vocal performance right. But with this, I remember feeling pretty relaxed going into it (contrary to the mood of the song) and I think it helped get the right nuances in there.

Another funny thing that happened was that we had borrowed this gorgeous, expensive telecaster to record the rhythm guitar on but we just could not get it to sound right. Something about how I was playing or how it was set up was making the tuning sound so off from chord to chord. In the end, I recorded the part on a $600 Gretsch guitar I had at my apartment through a Scarlett Solo interface, which is like some seriously basic tools (which work great). That ended up being a key layer in the sound of the song. Just goes to show how the right tools for something aren’t always the fancy ones.

What inspired you to pursue a career in music?

Music was my favorite company to keep growing up. I was a bit of a loner in my pre-teens, my family had just immigrated to Canada from Iran and the culture shift was pretty isolating for a while. I spent a lot of time in my room listening to my favorite bands and it didn’t take long for me to start writing my own songs and fantasizing about playing on stage. When I did finally start to play, it seemed to reach people in a way that I otherwise couldn’t. There’s a give and take in performing that’s so essential to me now. When you can see that you’ve gotten through to a room of strangers and made them feel connected to each other and to you, it’s the best feeling. Plus, I just love creating a world with visuals and letting that weird, imaginative kid in me go wild. That’s the stuff that’s kept me at it.

Can you share a memorable experience from a collaboration that enriched your music?

In the early days of perusing the Toronto music scene, I happened upon a guitarist named Alex Purcell who’s become one of my dearest collaborators and friends. We met at an open mic, he was a jazz school kid and I was a totally self-taught, scrappy songwriter and I think we were both really inspired by each other. He’s played in my band for many years and added a lot to the songs, including playing the lead guitar on Something // Way! Alex’s belief and investment in the project right from the start has been invaluable to me. He’s an incredible producer now - we co-produced Earth in Revolt together which is still one of my favorite tracks.

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