The debut single from Daysick, the brand new alternative rock trio out of Lunenburg County, shows that the band are no slouches in the storytelling department. Amidst hard-hammered guitars and a heavy beat, “Retry” offers a warning to carpe the diem before it’s too late.
Logan Steeves, James Ramey, and Mikey Smith formed Daysick in the lull of the last year, and that in itself seems like a big impetus for the message behind “Retry.” While many felt like their lives had come to a standstill, this trio set out to make the best of their time. Their debut single asks if living responsibly is really the most responsible use of our lives.
“’Retry’ is supposed to tell the story of someone who is living a very basic, typical, 9-5 job, socially acceptable life,” explains vocalist and guitarist Logan Steeves. “Always thinking he’d have more time later on, the person in the song has put off all his big hopes and dreams for later in life, focusing only on what is deemed to be ‘the right and responsible way to live’ for the time being.
“This person then suddenly finds out he’s about to die and looks back on his life realizing he’s done nothing he wanted to with it. He’s speaking out loud about everything he wishes he would’ve done differently, and how he wishes he would’ve cherished life more while he still had time to.”
“Knock Knock, who’s there, it’s your death I declare,” sings Steeves, rather grimly.
In a roundabout way, “Retry” suggests that the YOLO attitude of Neil Young, Macbeth, or Aesop’s Grasshopper might have been the right way of going about things.
“The ending of the song is death knocking up on his door, leading him up the stairs to heaven and telling him whether he’s prepared or not, his time is up and it’s time to go,” adds Steeves. “The character then frantically begs for one last try at life and says he would live it so much differently if he’s allowed to live again. As time runs out, he says he wishes he would’ve watched the glass on the shelf, aka the small hourglass counting down how much time he really had left to live, which he never paid attention to.”
So, take that as a warning and repent, responsible idlers, and gather ye rose-buds while ye may. Carpe diem before you find yourself in a mulligan situation.