Ben Kweller discusses the state of the world – and especially his homeland – in new single ‘American Cigarettes’. A metaphoric tale of one person yearning to keep an old love alive while the other is ready to talk out the door, it captures the way ‘we’ve been brought to our knees by a dual pandemic. Innocent people are dying each day from a micro bug called COVID and being brutalised by a macro bug called RACISM. With so much at stake, how can it be that we seem to have zero things in common? Instead of focusing on solutions that heal, we shout at each other and claim bad faith.’ It’s sad that this viewpoint can also be applied to us over here in England…
A slow-burning roots-rock song, Ben talks about regrets and how ‘you put my love to the test’ before admitting that ‘I know loving me’s a slippery slope’. In the press release, Ben says ‘I truly think that music might be one of the last connectors we have left’ and with the passion on show here, you’d have to agree with him. You’ll want to hug Ben as he sings ‘Hold on tight as you can’.