‘Always Perfect’, the new EP by Wisconsin’s emotionally driven melodic punk outfit Treason This, is filled to the brim with teenage angst. Discussing broken relationships, depression and something even darker, the EP veils the honest stories in gothic tones – ranging in style from lazy comparisons to My Chemical Romance and AFI to an understated beauty that rivals every emo singer-songwriter veteran. Ultimately, ‘Always Perfect’ provides an enticing listen; one that far outstretches the teenage confines. To celebrate it’s release, Treason This talk through the record’s seven tracks.
‘A Farewell Not One Sided’
‘A Farewell Not One-Sided’ is actually reflective to the last song on the record, and is written about my best friend heading off to college. It was written at a pretty challenging time in my life watching everyone head off to school while I stayed back to pursue music. I spent a lot of sleepless nights feeling like I was letting down the people around me, who didn’t always fully back my decision to not continue on with school. My friend, Brandon, was the last one to head off and I’d spent pretty much the last year of school spending every other day and night over at his place. A lot of the lines at the end of the song are also references to the first record that we put out back when I was a sophomore in high school, and were used to show different elements of growth and overcoming a lot of the things that inspired those earlier tracks. I mainly referenced the songs that I remember talking to him a lot about when the first record came out. The track itself to me says, “hey, we’re moving on, but we’ll stick together.”
‘I Hate You Please Die’
‘I Hate You Please Die’ is part angst-ridden breakup song, part Scott Pilgrim reference. I was in an incredibly manipulative relationship that lasted about 2 years, of which looking back were some of the hardest days of my life thus far. The person I was dating at the time was very dependent on me being around, to the point that the relationship turned to be very controlling. I spent most of those two years seeing her everyday, being used as a crutch to the fact that she had a lot of deeply rooted issues for which she refused to seek help. I tried my best to help her work it all out, but in the end there was only so much that I could do. It got very unhealthy for me, and I ended up really mentally abusing myself over the fact that I couldn’t give her what she needed. Eventually when I had been pushed to the breaking point it seemed like the only option was to tough it out and keep trying my best to help. I stayed in that mindset for a long time; just going through the motions, and keeping my distance from the other things in my life that I cared about, until the relationship ended up one based on complete dependence on me being around for her. I eventually tried cutting ties. It took several attempts, and each time I was more or less guilted back in. I was always told by her and her family that she “could never be happy if I let her go,” and that she’d “eventually make me love her again.” I ended up taking it to professionals, who were able to give her far better help than I ever could, and severing all ties with her and the family who had their own share of issues they needed to work out (see ‘Knife of the Month,’ which is a track that in my mind really speaks for itself.)
‘Moviegoers Dilemma’
‘Moviegoers Dilemma’ is one of the last tracks I wrote in getting over that relationship. It’s a pretty easy read in my opinion, about completely giving up and cutting ties. Much like ‘IHYPD’ it’s about reaching that breaking point, and realizing that there is just nothing more you can do. In the music video we tried to show the other side of the song, with the ending used as an attempt to visualize my own decreasing mental state throughout trying to help. The whole thing made me realize there’s a point where you simply can’t do this type of thing alone. Asking for help is always an option.
‘The Dangers In Shades And Lines’
‘The Dangers In Shades And Lines’ is about a lot of different things. It’s about feeling out of place, not being happy with your own image, and general dysphoria. There are a lot of different elements to it, and a lot of things that I feel like people will be able to relate to no matter what they’re going through. The song also has a lot of personal meaning to me, and deals with a lot of my own struggles. Those are almost something I don’t really want to delve too deeply into though for now, as I’d rather the track be something that people can find themselves in. This is for sure the track that I think cuts deepest emotionally on the record.
‘Suede (88.87)’
‘Suede (88.87)’ is a song that I wrote about my Grandfather. When I wrote it he had just gone through the end of a long-term relationship, then hopped on a plane to fly alone to stay with the rest of my family at the ripe young age of 92. He had with him the clothes on his back, two pistols, and about $80. He tried to give me $50 because he felt bad when he realized that he never sent me a card congratulating me on my graduation. We, of course, refused the money and filtered it back through to an account we set up for him as he found a new home.
‘A Disgrace To The Dead’
‘A Disgrace to the Dead’ is a song about our friend Drew and his friend, Cole, who were involved a fatal car crash around this time last summer. I became friends with Drew after he had come to me seeking help with music, as he was just starting to take it more seriously and was looking for some advice. We had started setting up a show with him near the end of summer before he passed away, and for weeks after I found myself sinking deeper into depression than I had in a long time. I found myself wondering how I could still be as low as I was, when I knew he would have given anything to be in the position that I was in. The line “walking out of body like I’ve made a step forward” was written about how I felt like I was starting to see the past versions of myself as a ghost, wondering how I could have lived for so long as low as I was, and realizing that I was ready to try and grow past those feelings.
Get hold of ‘Always Perfect’ via BandCamp now. Find out more about Treason This over on Facebook.
[Photo by: Peter Doucette]