By the time Brightwire released their 2021 album: Cracked, Flawed and Frayed (named one of the top local albums of 2021 by the Houston Chronicle), they had largely completed a new album’s worth of material.
This led to the idea of releasing a series of EPs that would eventually be pressed as a full-length. The first of those EPs was 2022’s Ghosts Best Left Alone, which debuted 3 songs the band had recorded in the quiet winter of that year. The EP was released right before they hit the road for a summer tour that saw them play festivals in Nebraska and Colorado while crisscrossing the Midwest.
Jump ahead to two years later, continued touring and live performances made it nearly impossible to find the numerous breaks needed complete the EP project. So, Brightwire began work on a full length. That full length is entitled Here, But Gone, a testament to the spirit of getting away from your current life that suddenly feels cumbersome.
The title was also a nod to their collaborators who were no longer with them but still had contributions make their way onto the album. Ship’s Wheel Saturday Night was written with multi-instrumentalist Samuel Barker’s brother, Daniel, who died in 2016. Threatening to Rain was written from text messages the band had exchanged with frequent collaborator Ben Hall before his death in 2021.
While holding to their sound, Here, But Gone is affectionally referred to as the ‘hardcore record’ by the members of Brightwire as the songs all took on a driving drum beat and saw the bpm count pushed higher than ever before. A call back to the band members’ beginnings in punk rock.
Take this new album, put it on in your car, roll the windows down and head somewhere new. That was the inspiration that led to its creation. Hit the road and let go for a bit.
Update: Here, But Gone was named as one of the 22 albums to check out in 2024 by the Houston Chronicle!