Some songs just won't go away...in a good way!
The first iteration of Start a War (SAW) happened at the very end of the homeless J. era (a chance offshoot of another song we were rehearsing). We knew it was special right away. We even went to the studio to record it as a single. But the homeless J. wheels were falling off the bus sadly.
But the song lived on, especially inside Chad. He couldn't let it go. "The lyric felt too intensely close to me. SAW became a mantra for me. I even named my personal journals Start a War. It was the push against corrupt natural processes leading us away from our destiny. War seemed like the only term appropriate against such strong forces! So the song pushed on...
New versions of Start a War came with Night is Electric. There was even a full video made for the song (when NiE was a 3-piece). Again, that happened in the midst of transitions (this time to a 2-piece). So again the song got lost.
Finally it was a plane ride home from Miami in December 2019 where Chad was feverish and sick (sitting in the back alone). He listened to 10+ versions of the song back to back, in a playlist on repeat. In that crazed state something beautiful bean to come together.
Chad heard all the different versions of the song becoming one final version.
That was and is now SAW 2020. A new take. And the best part...Chad and Jon were able to meet in March of 2020 (yes, just as the pandemic shutdowns were beginning). It was an eerie weekend but proved to be perfectly timed to record Jon's incredible bass parts. The song kept moving forward.
And now, exactly 2 years later, Start a War 2020 is finally ready to be released.
Look for the release and new video on Friday, February 25th (in time for the companion Start a War Guidebook (40 days of starting a war on our biggest enemy: our own indifference; written by Chad on the power of creative process). Check it out at TheInspired.Co in March 2022.
