Rush officially began their tour on Sunday at the Kia Forum in my sweet L.A. Now comes the daunting task of dodging setlist spoilers that are sure to pop up all over social media and YouTube. I’ve already accidentally encountered two of them, assuming the band will be playing the same set at each show. I need to hold out until July 20, when I see them two nights in Chicago!
Anyway…
Rachel Flowers and I started writing music together around 10 or so years ago, but time went on, and as I got further into my college career, it kind of disappeared into a sort of hiatus. I wasn’t feeling motivated to play music like I had as a teen, so it took a backseat.
But it’s back.
We collaborated on an idea back in 2017 on a song idea I had called “Protocol.” I had written all the lyrics initially, but in the recent year, we decided to revisit that song, and Rachel had some new lyric ideas that felt more timely than my first draft of words. Today, I was sent an updated draft of the song, which has blossomed into a 10-minute kind of “mini rock opera,” as a mutual friend of ours described it. The lyrics are now a combination of my words and Rachel’s. I’m sure the subject matter will make some listeners uncomfortable, but to me, that’s what art is supposed to do. It’s a form of expression, a way for some people to communicate their thoughts. It’s a very intimate thing, writing. That was a point constantly reiterated in college and grad school. When you share a piece or writing or art with the world, you’re offering strangers a portal into the darkest nooks and crannies of your mind.
The song isn’t quite ready to be released yet, but I will share with you the artwork we currently have:
The Girl in the Scarf 
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