I wrote “Cycle of Nightmares” during a time of personal turmoil and uncertainty. I was not necessarily expecting it to be used as a song on my album, but rather as a kind of litmus test for me as a musician. I believed that if I could finish the song, and trudge through the literal and metaphorical dissonance that was both the music and my life at the time, that I would emerge with renewed energy and esteem for my craft. Wishful thinking, but as it turned out, that was half the battle.
Prior to finishing the track I was having trouble just putting one foot in front of the other, and the music I was trying to make seemed completely insignificant when I looked at the bigger picture. Which is where I was stuck, trying to bring context to everything in my life, overvaluing the tangible things, and completely undervaluing the importance of creative expression and emotion. It was as if there was a track stuck on repeat in my head telling me that my hopes and dreams were meaningless and that every task was insurmountable. I wrote “Cycle” as a rebuttal to that thought, and in exposing my vulnerabilities I found that I still had a great deal of strength left.
