One of the most valuable bits of advice I can offer anyone is to avoid grocery shopping when you’re hungry. The same advice can be extended to dating; you’re going to find yourself coming away with some questionable choices that you probably didn’t really need in the first place.
Leanne Hoffman and Braden Nelson (Brdnn, Moonwake) have released their second collaborative single, “Running When I Want To,” which tackles this very subject and the value of making the right choices for yourself and having the autonomy to do so.
While the subject of abuse has become far more candid and prevalent in recent years with songwriters sharing their experiences, Leanne Hoffman says that detailing her own experiences still proved a challenge to bring forward.
The song offers a story of someone who, having found themselves let adrift, washes up on the shores of a relationship that they might not have otherwise arrived at and got in too deep, too fast. It may have proved to be a happy relationship for a while, but when things turned sour they found that circumstances left them no other options.
“I was worried that the lyrical content of this song would be too heavy, be too much, which is ridiculous because I don’t let that stop me with any other aspect of my life that I write about. But for some reason, writing about abuse made me self-conscious, which is a symptom of that experience, and I’m just realizing that now,” says Hoffman.
“It’s taken me a long time to put those feelings into a song. In the end, the pairing of the super up-beat, energetic music with the honesty of the lyrics is a combination I really like. It was the perfect vessel for something that felt too heavy to express on my own. It feels good to listen to for so many reasons. It’s cathartic. I hope that’s true for others.”
The beat is reminiscent of Arcade Fire’s recent dalliance with disco and offers a clear indicator of which elements BRDNN brought to Moonwake.
“Leanne is also fresh off playing her solo music at two sold-out gigs at Lightfoot and Wolfville opening up for Bahamas the other week,” adds Braden. “She’s not the type to brag but I’ll definitely do it for her because I think that’s amazing!”