Mary Strand On the Making Of “Take Your Time”
Can you share any interesting or unique stories or perspectives in "Take Your Time?"
So many! First, the song began with a prompt from the singer-songwriter challenge I participated in for 20 songs per year: the prompt was “strut.” My first thought was that no one uses that word, and I’m known (fondly!) in the challenge group for ignoring prompts if they don’t resonate with me. But I suddenly pictured a guy – a lawyer or investment banker – “strutting” down Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis right after closing a big deal or winning a trial. I worked as a deal lawyer for 16 years, and I’m married to a guy who was a litigator and a judge, and I knew this character and his likely oversized ego. And I knew how a woman would feel after putting up with a guy like that for Way Too Long. So an entire story took shape in my head. I’m also a novelist: that’s how my stories happen. The twist I put on the story follows my own attitude: never drown in your sorrows. So the woman telling this story is in a good place. She’s done with him, she’s moved on, and he can move on or not, but it won’t be with her. I think of it as a genuinely happy breakup song … but maybe happy only from her perspective!
One other thing: after Hennepin Avenue popped into my head, I thought about doubling down on Minneapolis references. For instance, instead of just saying he left a jacket, at one point I wrote “a Twins jacket.” But I realized I was forcing it, and I decided that Hennepin Avenue said it all. I think anyone who knows Minneapolis would agree: this story is set not only in Minneapolis but in downtown Minneapolis, and the listener is right there.
Were there any challenges or breakthrough moments during the songwriting process for "Take Your Time?"
Although I usually write from a happy or funny perspective, even if the subject matter isn’t totally happy, I really worked to make sure the chorus told the guy explicitly that the woman is in a fantastic place: “I couldn’t be better, I’m feeling great.” But I let the woman take one parting shot at him: “I finally lost all your dead weight.” Because, you know, sainthood can be overrated!
Musically, I was really proud of the bridge of this song. Too many of my bridges start out sounding musically like just another verse to me, and I often turn to Mark Wade – part of my album team, and one of my two guitar teachers – to help me fix my bridges by giving them the special twist that turns the song on its head. The bridge in “Take Your Time,” which I wrote without Mark’s help, was a breakthrough for me: it was the sort of bridge I usually get after talking to Mark. It may seem like a small thing, but it was a good moment for me.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for this song?
We started recording this album in March 2024, and we didn’t start tracking “Take Your Time” until June, maybe the fifth album song we’d worked on. (During that period, I was also writing a lot of the songs on the album, including “Take Your Time.”) We’ve tried not to get caught up in identifying “singles” while we’re recording, because a better song might come along. But as soon as we started tracking “Take Your Time,” Ryan Smith – also part of my album team, and my other guitar teacher – was sure that this was exactly the sound that captured the leap forward that I’m making right now as both a songwriter and musician. As soon as we finished recording the song, I agreed: "Take Your Time” wasn’t just a single. It had to be the first single of the new album. It’s a perfect blend of punk and garage and power pop, and it makes a girl wanna dance.
How do you continuously grow and evolve as an artist?
I do work at it. Every year, I write a list of 100 goals: novelist goals, music goals, and life goals. Five years ago, my music goals were 10 or 15 out of my 100 total goals. This year I had over 35 music goals, and I worked hard to achieve them. My music goals run the gamut from technical guitar and piano to songwriting to gigs (on increasingly bigger stages) to recording and releasing music. The singer-songwriter challenge, which I joined in 2020, has been a huge part of my growth as a songwriter. My fundamental goal as a guitarist is to be significantly better on the last day of the year than I was on the first day. I take music lessons and Zoom workshops, and most years I attend one in-person workshop or camp, most often in Nashville. As a result, my songwriting (both lyrically and musically) is more complex on my upcoming second album than on my first album, ‘Golden Girl,’ which was released in 2023. But playing live music in front of audiences, and preparing for those gigs, is one of the best things I do right now to grow as an artist.
Are there any upcoming projects or releases that you are particularly excited about?
Yes! “Take Your Time” is the first single of my upcoming second album, which will be called ‘I Don’t Need Your Permission.’ A theme of empowerment is threaded through most songs on the album. We plan to release five singles before releasing the 12-song album this summer, likely in July. My album band and I, known as Mary Strand & The Garage, will also be playing gigs in support of the new album. On a completely separate note, I just released my first Christmas single, “I Wanna Believe,” in November 2024, and it will be part of Hygh Tension Records’ anthology to be released in late 2025, called A Punk Christmas. I had so much fun writing and recording “I Wanna Believe” that I already have a 2025 music goal of writing enough Christmas songs for an EP, to be released in either 2025 or 2026. I can’t wait.
