TRACK BY TRACK – JUST ABOUT DONE – I AM GETTING BY

‘The best way approach a track by track for this EP is to first explain that the presented order of the songs, was not actually the order they were written in. On ‘I Am Getting By’ we have a storyline threading through the accompanying videos and one that is different to what the songs are lyrically written about. We came about this alternate story when one of our band members listened and related to the songs on a completely different level to what my intention and it really was so amazing’, just one part of the in-depth description Just About Done vocalist Samantha McGee gives to describe the bands upcoming EP. Set to be released on October 19th, the Aussie outfit are bringing you something great commentated by McGee herself…

1 – Strain: Lyrically, ‘Strain’ was written out of frustration. I had finally ended a friendship with someone who was really starting to have an effect on my well-being. This person was the complete opposite to who I am, and who I want to be, so I really had to cut ties with them. Because of the nature of the song, there are some lines that are quite blunt and to the point – but that’s exactly how I was feeling at the time.

Most of our song writing goes something along the lines of: the guys write the start/ bulk of the instrumental parts and then I throw lyrics on top. Of course, no song is complete without us having a few debates on what sounds better and what direction the song should be heading – but that is how we push each other to get the best out of everyone. For example, the first verse was initially written as a bridge, but the guys were insistent that it should be the verse. To me that was bizarre but I agreed, and now we are all so happy with that decision.

We recorded this EP with Chris Vernon, who had his input on this song more than any other. We worked on the bridge together and he actually wrote the vocal line ‘You come to me, ignoring. It seems as if the world’s revolving around your head.’ We love being able to work with someone not in the band to give their honest opinions and are so stoked to have a little CV on this record.

2 – 1029: This song started off with a really strong instrumental section that was so enjoyable on it’s own it didn’t need lyrics, but I wrote some anyway. Pronounced ‘ten twenty-nine’, this track is about a relationship going through a hard time. Without giving away too much, this track portrays a feeling of not even wanting to confront an issue because you are so exhausted by the situation. There are a lot of lyrics in this track and it is always a bit of a shock to the crowd when played live as it must be strange seeing a girl sing this way, but that is exactly what Just About Done are about.

Just like the rest of our songs, we did pre-production at home first, so we could make all of our musical decisions without wasting studio time. This song certainly went through some chops and changes. Listeners can expect something very punchy with 1029, and we can’t wait for it to be out. The video is another question-posing piece of work, which may be confusing to some but rest assured that all will be revealed.

3 – Peacemaker: Peacemaker was actually the first track we wrote for this EP. Musically, there are a few different sounds that aren’t usually in our sound. We were going through a bit of a change in musical preference at this stage and Peacemaker shows that. Lyrically, it stemmed from my struggles with growing up with faith, and now coming to the fact that I don’t necessarily connect with that anymore. The line ‘wondering how to break the noose’, was initially written as ‘news’, referring to other people finding out about my decision. I changed it to ‘noose’ because it is sort of a double Entendre, which adds another element to the song and expresses my feelings towards situation more accurately. This song has become unintentionally anthemic and we often find people singing back the words to us at shows, even though it has not even been released!

In terms of the accompanying video, Peacemaker is the last to be released. It’s really hard-hitting and even after many watches, evokes a lot of emotion for all of our band. We feel the story is very relatable and hope that our form of expression, helps others who may have gone through the same thing.