The Maine’s “Die To Fall” Is A Nostalgic Joy Ride
The Maine kicks off their Joy Next Door album cycle with the release of the first single, “Die To Fall” along with “Life In Forward Motion", a documentary-style clip detailing the group’s journey over the past 20 years and detailing the themes of this upcoming release. The single comes off of weeks of album teasing, including a memorable drone show in their hometown of Phoenix, Arizona announcing the album’s title and release date of April 10th. The release will coincide with the I LOVE YOU, BUT I CHOSE THE MAINE TOUR beginning March 24th.
Lyrically, “Die To Fall” explores a dreamlike, nostalgic scenario of staying frozen in time with the one you love, versus the realities of going through the motions of quickly evolving time. “I'll waste a little time / Spill a little wine / Think I see our first apartment / Can I get a lift? / Gravity's a bitch / Always holding on and on and on.”
The music video depicts frontman John O’Callaghan on a drive through the suburbs, with flashes of teenage friend groups finding joy making memories in the mundane; sitting on a lawn drinking, driving around and a trip convenience store. Mirroring these teens are the band themselves rehearsing the song in a garage, talking and laughing. As the song reaches its end, John sits on top of his car across from the infamous 8213 studio, where the teens pull up and join him. At the outro, John drives away, transitioning from the drivers seat to the top of the moving car, enjoying the breeze and taking in the nighttime landscape of his hometown. When paired together, the song and visual paint a fuller picture of pausing and soaking in the slower, intimate moments with those closest to us. While specific events may not stick out in our memories as we reflect on the highs and lows of our lives, we can all relate to wishing to return to the simpler times when the tough gets going.
“Life In Forward Motion” features O’Callaghan’s voiceover explaining his lyric inspiration for the record, which comes in the moments of in-between, where your life is going well and you aren’t on an emotional rollercoaster. When you are trying to reflect on the abundance of what you have and fully embracing the gratitude for stability. He highlights the excitement and “naive chase” that drove the bands early days toward fame, recognition and ideals around success and how they have grown over the span of their career.
I began listening to The Maine in middle school. Their records over the years have defined the parts of my life that felt more uneasy, intense and filled with doubt. As I approach 30, I also find myself in a moment of personal stability, reflecting on all it took to get me here. “Die To Fall” sets the stage for an easy-listening record for fans to not only reflect on how far The Maine has come, but provide an opportunity for them to pause, take stock of their own abundance and look toward the future.
“Die To Fall” now available to stream and Joy Next Door can be pre-saved and pre-ordered. Tickets are now available for the I LOVE YOU, BUT I CHOSE THE MAINE TOUR tour and can be purchased on their website.
