It was in early 2017 when I came up with the riff/progression for "Love Desolation". I felt like it had a Tom Morello feel with something he would've done with Rage Against The Machine or Audioslave. Staying with the blues riffs in power chords. Another Plaid On Flannel song "Heroes & Villains" has similar hand positioning on the guitar progression. Using my thumb to go to F# from an open E on the low string. Back and forth. Except "Heroes" has a different type of rhythm pattern and uses a capo on the 1st fret. I completed the music and different sections for "Love Desolation" on March 6, 2017. But at the time, I hadn't written any lyrics with a final arrangement for the tune. I was smack dab in the middle of Independency, and was still completing the run of songs I had ready in 2016 when I started recording the album.
The lyrics for "Love Desolation" were finally written on December 15, 2017 with the title "Love Desperation". When I started recording vocals for the song shortly after, I realized that "Desperation" was a word that didn't sound great in the chorus. It didn't flow well with it's syllables and vowels. Of course, I got out my thesaurus to find a better word. And pretty soon the song was re-titled "Love Desolation". Which fit in quite well with the Independency - isolated lighthouse keeper concept of the album.
When it comes to the lyrics of this song, I'll have to take you into my personal life. I've met dozens of women on Tinder and have slept with many of them. In 2017, I was on a rampage. I wanted to meet somebody special, but I was more interested in you know what. Because I know how difficult it is to find someone special. The month I wrote the lyrics for "Love Desolation", I went out with a girl named Dani. I think she was 23 and I was 29 at the time. She lived in Parkdale, just like me. She played acoustic guitar and had the coolest dog. Dani loved the great rock bands and worked at the Beer Store. It seemed like we were so compatible, and this thing might work out. But eventually, she gave me the "it's not you, it's me" routine. I invented that! Lmao. Anyways, after a few great times together, we were no more. That's when I wrote the lyrics to "Love Desolation". Which obviously reflected my loneliness in the dating world. On the other hand, I know that loneliness is a universal language that goes hand-in-hand with music. Think about a song like "Under The Bridge" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Lonely songs resonate so much with people. That's why I wanted to be completely honest when writing the lyrics to this song. Because it's crucial when communicating with the listener.
The call and response vocals in the chorus was something I didn't plan for. The chorus to "Voices" by Alice In Chains was the original inspiration for the chorus to "Love Desolation". I just loved the spaces between the phrases and it's simplicity. When I was recording the vocals for "Love Desolation", I realized that space needed to be filled. Than I imagined the Plaid On Flannel band having 2 backup vocals harmonizing each other. And used those response backup vocals more in the choruses as the song progressed.
There's a synth lead solo in this song. I experimented with synth leads on a few songs for Independency. This one happens after the 1st chorus, and it generally follows the verse melody. One more thing I wanted to talk about with "Love Desolation" is the vocal delays. There was quite a bit of vocal delay-lay used in this tune to fill up some spaces and emphasize phrases. The 3rd verse not only uses vocal delay, but is uses a megaphone filter to make it sound badass!
lyrics
Words and music by Nolan Randall
There's a lot of motion going through my mind
Now my soul is searching for what i might find
When will it be my time? Who's to say I'm due?
Everyone is out there, some are lonely too
Love desolation keeps me wondering why
My situation keeps on passing me by
It never dies
One two three four five six, seven eight nine ten
Hard to find the right fit, someone's lost again
Love desolation seems so high in the sky
This admiration seems to look in my eye
Love desolation, not the moment to cry
My proclamation, not your average guy
Now I see I need to find harmony, now I see
It is a two-way street, only way to go
Gotta work it both ways, that's when I will know
Love desolation keeps me wondering why
My situation keeps on passing me by
Love desolation seems so high in the sky
This inspiration seems to look in my eye
It never dies
Plaid On Flannel is an alternative indie blues rock act from Toronto, Canada. With 80+ original songs recorded since 2011,
singer-songwriter Nolan Randall has remained the sole constant member of the band. POF's music is known for guitar riffs/solos, memorable hooks, catchy melodies/harmonies, evocative lyrics, & superb musicianship. While keeping a focus on originality and songwriting quality....more
Combining crooned murder ballads with raw, angsty hard rock hooks, Melbourne's The Ugly Kings are a wrecking crew well worth watching. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 15, 2021
Brighton, UK band leaven surging hard rock with spaced-out stoner-doom on their second LP, recorded in an old chapel on the English coast. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 9, 2022
The surprisingly comical new video from roaring metal group Red Fang is a tip of the hat to the original “Predator.” Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 12, 2016
