I played a show in Wheaton, IL this past summer and was able to capture it on video. I took the best songs and decided to release them. Here's the first, Only Begun.
I have a long love/hate relationship with this one. I think it's one of the simplest and most honest songs I've written, but it took forever to write. Only Begun has always had the same verses and instrumental part, but I spent a few years on the chorus. That's right, years. It used to be called "Scream" because of the chorus:
Scream at the top of your lungs,
You're free, throw it all off and run,
And scream, shout, just know that we've already won
I went through some dark years where I became insecure about writing songs. The lyrics and melodies stopped coming. I was desperate to finish this one, so I kept trying new things. I tried different keys. I tired changing up the rhythm of the words and melody of the chorus. It wasn't until I decided to throw away the old chorus that the new one came. One day I was pacing around the house, playing guitar (as one does), and it finally came to me:
Just know that we've won
'Cause we've only begun
Just know that we've won
And if you ever start to slip
Or the bucket comes up dry
I knew Only Begun was complete after that. It says everything I want it to. If you love it and decide that you must have, the album version is on Bandcamp and iTunes. Enjoy the video.
- Kevin Embleton