Back and better than ever is a singer-songwriter and musician, John Engel, pitting the power of love and self-growth against greed and hypocrisy with his latest single, "STILL FREE, MY COUNTRY."
Prior to putting music on the back burner to pursue filmmaking, John Engel played hundreds of gigs as a solo singer-songwriter. Fast forward to today, John Engel is happily gathering the top session musicians to record batches of songs he's written over the years.
Everything from his love for California and his personal, conceptual lyrics give listeners something new and engaging to experience, especially within his latest single, "STILL FREE, MY COUNTRY." In the new song, John Engel pushes forward emotions of love and self-growth against the many greedy and selfish people we all encounter.
The new single, "STILL FREE, MY COUNTRY," brightly opens with a warm brass section that leaps into a smooth instrumental that dances between genres like jazz and folk. John Engel's crooning vocals pour through the speakers with such passion and emotion that has listeners locked in from the jump. His personal and conceptual lyrical content adds heaps of introspection to the experience.
The melodic brass section and the sweet percussion alongside John Engel's soothing vocal harmonies make for this blanket of sonic comfort that helps the listener form a deeper connection with this bluntly honest piece. John Engel's reflective lyrics and dynamic performance stylings offer this dreamy and surreal listening experience that we truly can't get enough of.
Do yourself a favor and replenish your hope for a better tomorrow with help from John Engel's new single, "STILL FREE, MY COUNTRY," now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, John Engel. What experiences inspired you to create such an honest and personal single like "STILL FREE, MY COUNTRY?"
Thank you for inviting me! This track is quite personal indeed. It’s a bit scary to be opinionated these days. How did the song come about? Actually, two parallel things happened. I’d written a couple of verses during the Bush presidency, expressing my frustration over the way people were manipulated by politicians and religious leaders of all sorts. I felt oppressed and battered by all the grim news and the hatred oozing everywhere, so I had to put that into words. Separately from that, I'd pulled out an instrumental riff I’d written long ago that I really loved but never integrated into anything. I started playing around with it and joining it to a natural chord progression. The musical structure came out of that. I quickly realized those lyrics worked great on that chord progression, with the instrumental parts lending a cool sense of gravitas. The lyrics are, sadly, even more, relevant today, which is why I worked on the song some more, added verses, and recorded it now. Nowadays, everything is extremely polarized; there is so little dialogue and so little truth… it’s all about blinkered beliefs and enemy lines. But it’s not good to stay angry, there has to be hope, and there has to be love. So, both musically and lyrically, I wanted the chorus to form a kind of cocoon, an island, my own imaginary country, that I could always go back to find love, peace, and balance. As the words say, it’s about taking a chance, one step at a time, but I can make that country mine because it starts with my inner self. As individuals, that’s what we can work on.
What was the main message or key takeaway that you wanted listeners to pick up on when hearing "STILL FREE, MY COUNTRY?"
The main takeaway should be for each of us to remember that we make our own world. The way we live, the experiences we have, the people we are close to — most of us have an impact on that. If you surround yourself with tolerance and love, you will get it back in spades. I hope listeners can relate to the verses and can be inspired by the chorus to work on and trust in their own hearts and private country. Secondly, but more urgently, I hope that, in a small way, the song can motivate people to vote in the next few weeks.
How would you describe the sound in "STILL FREE, MY COUNTRY?" What sounds or genres influenced this song?
This song has a broad mix of musical influences. It reflects my fondness for blending styles and creating an enveloping sort of atmosphere. There’s definitely a jazz tinge to it, which might bring up reminiscences of early Chicago, LA Express, Steely Dan, or even Chick Corea’s Return To Forever. The chord progressions and airy vibe make me think a little of Quicksilver Messenger Service or Buffalo Springfield. I mention these names with the greatest respect and modesty — I love them, as I love so many other artists who've influenced me. At the end of the day, the whole musical mood of "STILL FREE" is something else entirely, my own humble concoction.
What was your favorite part about creating "STILL FREE, MY COUNTRY?" What did you appreciate the most?
Every step, every aspect, was fascinating and fun. When you’ve lived with a song on your own for a long time, it’s a wonderful experience to hear it played by other musicians. Rehearsing the song with the group was a thrill, and then when we recorded the horn section, that just brought me to another place! So amazing. Doubling the organ with the girls’ vocals was another high. Forget about the words, and this song can be enjoyed as just a piece of music, a cinematic musical journey!
What's next for you?
"STILL FREE" is my 5th single, and I’ll keep releasing a new single every month for another year at least. A physical album will be coming out at the end of the year, and there will be live gigs starting early next year. There should be some interesting collaborations in the not-too-distant future, as well as a series of covers.