Premiere | The Flycatchers: The Ledge
Photo by Ryan Magnani
Today we’re premiering the new single, “The Ledge” from Oklahoma City based band, The Flycatchers. If you’re wondering if this is the same band as Chris Jones & The Flycatchers, it is, in a way. As it did for many of us, the pandemic forced some changes for the band, as it lost members and ultimately fell apart, shows were canceled and Chris found himself back to square one and rebuilding from the bottom. The name has changed, but it’s still featuring a superb line-up of incredibly talented musicians, including Isaac Stalling, Ken Pomeroy, Chris Jones, Mike Rose and Ethan Teel. The line-up and name aren’t the only things that are different. Although hailed as an Americana band, the new single, “The Ledge” with its tinges of synthesizer and guitar riffs, seems to embrace more of a rock feel that previous songs and albums that the band has released. Change is always good, and it seems to have been a welcome thing for The Flycatchers.
Chris had this to say about the new single, ““The Ledge” is about watching someone you love struggle with something you can’t understand. I wrote it during a time where a person I loved dearly was wrestling with an internal ultimatum. I watched them standing on a ledge, frustrated and confused. I didn’t know how to help, and the only thing I could do was love them and be there for them. Listen and try to understand. That’s when I started writing. The song is a promise, a reassurance that the thoughts they were telling themselves were lies. That they were good enough and anyone else who seemed to have it together, was just an illusion. I think it’s a universal experience we can all relate to, and it’s a pretty common theme with this record. I hope we can all find a little bit of hope in the song.”
In the age of social media, intense personal pressure and an increase in mental health problems in the age of the pandemic, sometimes its easy to believe the lies your brain tells you and if you haven’t struggled personally with this, then you’ve likely watched a loved one deal with these same thoughts and emotions. “The Ledge” perfectly captures what it’s like to watch someone you love struggle, feel helpless because you don’t understand how to help them and all you can do is sit there and love them. And sometimes, that is exactly what that person needs.
If “The Ledge” is any indication on what the rest of the forthcoming album from The Flycatchers is going to be like, then I feel like this is going to a strong contender for the best album that Chris Jones has put forth in his time as an artist. Tough times force us to grow, and Chris has taken that to heart when it comes to The Flycatchers and the music that he is making. “The Ledge” showcases the new sounds, the talent of the new lineup of the band and deeper, more mature writing. On their own “ledge” metaphorically, as they will be releasing a new album out in the world, The Flycatchers aren’t going to fall this time around, they’re going to soar.
Find “The Ledge” out everywhere on May 27th.
