Fretland Examine Their Insecurities in ‘Too Much’ [Premiere]

Fretland‘s new song “Too Much” is full of insecurities laid bare. The band is premiering the brand-new track exclusively with The Boot; press play below to listen.

“I am uncertain sometimes if I’m ahead or I am behind / If I’m a fool or I’m too wise for my own good,” begins “Too Good.” The song wraps its self-doubt in a carefree, largely acoustic melody and frontwoman Hillary Grace Fretland’s assured, at times even playful vocals.

“There is a place in my head / It runs me ragged while I lie in bed / It keeps me wonderin’ if I’m any fun or I’m any good / There is a place in my heart / It tried pulling away, but it pulled me apart / So I keep it locked up tight,” she continues, before concluding, “I think I’m just too much for you / Oh, I think I’m just too much for me, too.”

Hillary wrote “Too Much” solo, and tells The Boot that it’s based in a true-life moment: “There was, indeed, a wedding in Capitol Hill where I drank too much, danced too much, smoked too much, regretted too much and punished myself too damn much — a trait I am still trying to remedy,” she recounts.

“The only inconsistency in the song is that sometimes you can be ‘too serious’ or ‘not serious enough.’ That was deliberate,” she reflects. “At the end of the day, if you’re feeling too much of anything, you’re just being too hard on yourself. And I, personally, can ‘feel’ too serious and not serious enough in a matter of hours.”

“Too Much” comes from Fretland’s forthcoming sophomore album, Could Have Loved You, produced by Nich Wilbur and Trevor Spencer. The project expresses Hillary’s fear, hopefulness and gratitude toward love, played out over 10 songs rooted in personal moments.

“People are never the hero or the villain in my mind. In my formative years, I had two parents that loved me and loved each other and failed each other. I have never stopped asking why,” she explains. “For a long time, I asked out of fear that it would happen to me. I wanted to protect myself with a deep understanding of people and myself so that I would never have to experience the pain I witnessed. I am still in the process of taking that wall down.

“I want to understand all parts of me that make me human, so that I can share them, and so maybe someone, somewhere recognizes themselves as the villain and learns to love themselves anyway,” she continues. “There’s so much shame in a failed relationship; we always want to know who’s at fault. It’s never been that simple for me.”

“Too Much” is due out widely on Friday (Feb. 12). Could Have Loved You, meanwhile, will be out on March 26 and is available to pre-order now.