On his latest single “The Ship,” which The Boot is exclusively premiering today (June 23), celebrated singer-songwriter Andrew Combs explores the uncertainty of life, death and what comes after.
“This is a song about losing a friend to an overdose,” Combs tells The Boot. “After on and off again sobriety, he finally lost his battle with addiction. We weren’t the closest of pals, but we thought fondly of each other. This is me pondering the many sides of his personality that I did not know (I only interacted with him when he was sober) and sending him a farewell to a better place.”
Although the subject matter may seem heavy, Combs’ floating vocals add a lightness to the song, which finds him hoping for a peaceful relief when that fated time comes to us all.
The track’s music video, directed and edited by talented cinematographer Austin Leih, finds Combs riding through Nashville in a driverless truck, his final destination uncertain. The stark, black and white imagery brings a powerful simplicity, echoed in the song’s poetic, impactful lyrics.
“Looking out a window, cursing at the sea / Waiting for the ship to come and carry me,” he sings, leaving the darkness behind. “Far, far from the will of the wires / Far far from these earthly desires / Far far away.”
Watch the official music video for Andrew Combs’ “The Ship” below:
“The Ship” is the latest cut from Combs’ upcoming album Sundays, due out on Aug. 19 via Tone Tree. The Dallas native’s fifth full-length LP was created in early 2021, when Combs was trying to find his footing as the unpredictable COVID-19 pandemic raged on.
Like many of us, Combs found himself struggling to deal with the personal challenges spawned from the “unprecedented time” we called the year 2020. The psychological toll of that period lead Combs to embrace the practice of meditation and put a new focus on exploring the depths of his own mind. These new habits also inspired Combs to take a weekly trip into the studio, where he worked alongside creative collaborators Jordan Lehning and Dominic Billet to unpack his emotions and experiences through song.
The result is a sound far evolved from the layered, acoustic guitar-driven Americana found in previous projects, like his acclaimed 2015 record All These Dreams. The stripped down soundscape of Sundays grants these songs room to breathe, shifting a new focus on Combs’ rich, introspective lyrical explorations.
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