PREMIERE | Sweet Nobody, "Not a Good Judge"
Loitering about the bleachers with Sweet Nobody; press photo courtesy of the artists.
Growing and healing from the world shattering event of a pandemic in conjunction with societal, civic, social and fiscal failures too numerous too count; it is important to remember the fragile state we were in even prior to these unprecedented series of unfathomable events. Before our lives were put on hold, before grief, loss, destitution and despots brought us to the brink of utter perdition and collapse, we were already going through our own states of reckoning and upheavals. If last year taught us anything it is that hindsight is far from 20/20, the world we remember is not the rose tinted lensed Disney-version of impossible perfection, but rather histories mired by human shortcomings and the incompletion of ongoing narratives deserving of being viewed in the imperfect tenses. We experience hurt, we hurt others, we live, we learn, we grow, we make amends, we mature and ultimately we face the things about ourselves that we push to ignore in favor of the coping devices that offer limitless diversions and half truths that fill the personal vacuum of denial and often highly corrosive compartmentalization.
From the sun kissed coast of Long Beach, California; Sweet Nobody triumphantly announce their album We’re Trying Our Best! recorded prior to the pandemic that was originally slated for release in summer of 2020. Now with a set fresh release date of September 17 via Daydream Records, the band of Joy Deyo, husband Brian Dishon, Casey Snyder and Adam Nolan deliver a brilliant pop bouquet of heart achingly honest confessionals with the debut of the single “Not a Good Judge”. Drawing from Joy's personal bouts of living with chronic pain and addressing the immense mountains of insecurity, sentiments of insufficiency and obsessive all-consuming ideas and delusions of creative deficiency — Sweet Nobody confronts our inner judges, juries and executioners head on in a song that breaks the bubble of paralysis of inner negativity and strife in a breakthrough of blistering botanical champagne perlage diamonds of emanating light and reclaimed life.
“Not a Good Judge” is an exercise in taking a break from the overly critical choruses from within that naysay against our own unlimited intrinsic potential and proactive behaviors. Bandleader Joy lyrically and musically faces her worst critics from within, addressing the barrage of inner inertia that keeps us from accepting inherent talents, truths and everything that prevents us from tackling both the easy and tough stuff in our lives. Abiding by an aesthetic that recalls the bright, beautiful, glamorous yet bashful canons of DIY legends, artful bedroom pop dodgers to your favorite fallen 80s/90s heroes and ill fated icons — Sweet Nobody delivers a message that it is okay to not feel alright and edifies the courage to challenge ourselves in all aspects of personal development. The beauty of “Not a Good Judge” is a reminder to give ourselves space and room to grow, room to heal, room to be our best selves and honestly and truthfully take on the big and small things with equal vigor and an unabashed investment in ourselves, loved ones in the shared realities of our world. Sweet Nobody offers an unflinching and brutally honest tour de force that casts aside the delusions about ourselves and the lies that keep us from fully connecting with matters of the self, our natural gifts and the hard work that rewards us with truths like we have never before known. “Judge” is a message to fully lean in toward a greater existence that offers an abundant and fulfilling life away from the shrouded states of shame and obfuscated self-pitying corners of nearsightedness.
Cover art for Sweet Nobody’s single “Not a Good Judge”.
Sweet Nobody’s own brave and fearless leader Joy Deyo shared some candid words with us about the inception and inspirations that informed “Not a Good Judge” with further reflections on the making of We’re Trying Our Best:
For me the creative process is cyclical. I’ll be making things I like and then I’ll get to a point where I’m stuck on something or I can’t access an idea I want. I get frustrated with myself and wonder if I ever really had it. Then I text my husband, our drummer Brian, and tell him I’m afraid I’ll never make anything good again. He laughs and tells me not to worry and not long after I’ll have a breakthrough and get back to feeling confident again. I’m learning to trust that those lows aren’t the final word on my ability to create. "Not A Good Judge" is me on a creative high imploring the me that’s in a creative low not to take it too seriously. It’s about getting out of my own way so I can keep progressing.
We wanted to write a lot of fun guitar leads and singable instrumental parts for this album. I really wanted to write at least one bass line as well. I don’t play bass, but I’m always interested in getting in the headspace of other musicians and writing to highlight different instruments. “Not a Good Judge” was the first bass line I ever wrote and our bassist Adam took it and gave it life. It was so fun and it felt really low stakes because I was like, I don’t know what I’m doing, so it doesn’t matter if it sucks!
Lots of the songs on this album chronicle my efforts to push through creative ruts, social anxiety and most of all, debilitating chronic pain so that I can still feel a little bit human. I like the idea of being able to dance to the dark stuff and We’re Trying Our Best is just the kind of bubblegum music with graveyard lyrics that I like.
Sweet Nobody’s album We’re Trying Our Best! will be available September 17 via Daydream Records.
“Not a Good Judge” is available now everywhere.
Cover art for Sweet Nobody’s upcoming album We’re Trying Our Best! courtesy of the band.