In 2002, change was certainly on everyone's mind. In retrospect, change was the central theme of the entire Renew record. More specifically, what can last after everything changes and falls apart? When everyone else is moving on, do you want to keep going or not?

The band was just coming off a 3-year hiatus between records. Most of us had become parents, bought houses, and moved away from each other. We didn't have a major label anymore and the hype that the band was going to become the next big thing was over... through no fault of our own. We had lost all of our momentum in record label hell several years ago. Lots of big scary life stuff, the party was sure as hell over.

Paul and I had started Saturation Acres recording studio and we had just produced another regional band that had gotten signed and had everybody buzzing, Breaking Benjamin. So at this point not only weren't we touring the country, we weren't even the biggest band in our hometown anymore. But we did have our diehard fans, our new manager, the studio, and a fresh approach. So we were excited to make some new music. I remember sitting down in my living room one day to work up some ideas. I remember the tune had a lot of chords and it wasn't moving me. I said to myself "too many changes". I scrapped 'plan A' immediately and started playing a simple 2-chord riff, the same riff that is on the record.

I loved a Son Volt song from a few years earlier called "Out of the Picture":

"You may be quite sure you know where you're going/ But sooner or later you're out of the picture/ Too many lost names/ Too many rules to the game/ You better find a focus or you're out of the picture"

Man were we living that tune. So I had the phrase "too many changes...at the same time". Then I came up with the Motowny chorus, "When are we gonna try and get back around", to put some hope in there, which I always try to do. Paul did some real nice touches in the studio and Pete sang the shit out of this one. It's still a favorite live.

   - Bret Alexander

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