Nashville-based band, Arts Fishing Club, puts a contemplative foot in the water with the first single off their new album Rothko Sky titled, “Doug Song.”
Inspired by a moment he spent hanging out with a dog named Doug, front man, Christopher Kessenich, says that “It was a breath. A moment in time when I was sitting in silence and all of these thoughts about my life came into clarity: that I’ve been afraid to record my songs, that sometimes I feel like a phony in Nashville ’cause I’m in constant awe of the talented people around me, that I struggle with drinking and self-medicating. I was sitting in silence with Doug and all of these ‘truths’ that had been ringing in my ear for a long time came clear to me.”
And the song’s earnestness and humility follow suit with gentle guitars and soulful vocals that simultaneously self-reflect and hope for better things to come – that “the mess I make is worth it in the end” which he sings in the final song’s final stanza. With the accompanying music video, we see him move through a bunch of quiet activities like fishing, driving, walking through the forest, and playing his guitar. There’s both a melancholy and joyful tint to the simplicity of visuals that helps keep the overall experience warm and inviting.
“The third verse is hopeful though” he says. “I recognize that no matter what I do, I’m unfortunately and unintentionally going to hurt people. Existence is violent; when you take the risk to step out and dance, you’re inevitably going to step on peoples’ toes. My ‘apology’ to my mother and future sons is not to them specifically but rather a universal apology to all I’ve hurt and to those I’ll hurt in the future. I won’t stop trying though. I won’t hide. I’m going to continue to take the risk of loving and do the best I can.”
“Doug Song” and Rothko Sky are both available now on major streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. The accompanying music video for “Doug Song” is also available on YouTube.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
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