on callbacks: where we've been and where we're going

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I’m realizing that what truly resonates with us often lies in callbacks—whether it’s a joke, a memory, or a dream. The way something returns to us, carrying new meaning, is where the real impact happens.

As I write my third album, it’s becoming a collection of love songs—both to this dream of mine and to my partner. I’m constantly calling back to themes and moments from my earlier records. Clementines, which symbolize romanticized hope in Protagonist, now appear again. This time, I’m writing about laying a blanket next to a clementine bush with my partner, wondering if the flowers are really that vibrant or if life just seems brighter when you're with the right person.

In Find Someone Else, I ask the moon what to do, searching for answers outside myself. But now, in this third album, I’m telling the moon how I feel, how I’ve found my footing. I’m no longer asking for direction; I’m narrating my own story. That’s the journey Protagonist guided me through—to write my own narrative.

An album cycle is a long, expensive, and tedious process. I wrote Protagonist nearly two years ago, and only now am I building anticipation for its release. I’m a different person today than when I sat down to write The Songwriter, Sweetheart, or Bikini Season—all of which will soon be yours. But every time I perform these songs, I’m calling back to the version of myself who created them. And with every song I write today, I meet who I’ve become.

It’s like a boomerang. Each callback I make gains momentum, swinging forward as it picks up the stories of those around me.

On September 28th, I’ll be at Clementine Bakery for the first official Protagonist show. Wherever you’ve come from and wherever you’re going, my hope is that the boomerang can remind you that Right Now, It’s Like This.

I can’t wait to see you next week, New York. Grab your tickets here.

Where in your art do you find yourself calling back to who you used to be? How has that shaped the stories you're telling today?

Tom walked past me performing outside Prospect Park this week and then returned from his apartment with a folding chair. Alex joined. I’ll be calling back to this one for the rest of my life.