Alex Rohan is an independent songwriter from Springfield, Massachusetts. He takes inspiration from everything from rap to reggae to metal and more. He has a unique, polished style of guitar playing and a versatile voice. Rohan aims to pay homage to all genres with his music.

His most recent single, “Blurry” features exposed vocals and haunting synth pads. We get hints of Sam Smith along with traces of Lo-Fi. In this song, he performs a skillful balancing act between contrasting timbres and singing styles. Rohan wields both a pure falsetto and a full-flavored belt. “Blurry” is an oceanic song; a tear-jerker of a ballad.

At the beginning of the tune, the singer is blaming himself for everything that went wrong.

He speaks of his old flame and struggles with feeling small and selfish – a prisoner of his own mind.

Anyone who has ever struggled knows that ‘facing the day’ is simple – but once the sun sets, it’s a different story.

“Daylight goes weak
The night will bring a whole new set of waves
To paddle through”

Though it’s been years since they’ve spoken, he still remembers how this person destroyed all the good things they ever said to him. How do you live with this dichotomy; The person who gave you the highest of all elations, and then took your heart and buried it at sea?

“I still feel the flames
Burning down the things that you said”

When we get to the turning point/B section, it becomes clear that he doesn’t actually want this person back.

“Don’t pretend to help me now
I need you, you shut me out”

Rohan closes the book of memories softly, with held piano chords and exposed vocals. Some memories never collect dust; this single is a ballad for those who have had to try and win a war of the mind.

Q&A

This song has a heavy water/ocean-based theme. Why did you choose this element in particular?

In the chorus there’s a lyric that says : “ the night will bring a whole new set of waves to paddle through “ with the chord progression and the overall theme of the song, We leaned more toward an “heavy water / ocean themed” atmospheric sound. The ocean is a calming and inviting sound, To collaborate that with deep meaningful lyrics / Storyline of a mental struggle is the perfect combination in my mind.

When did the idea for the song ‘Blurry’ first hit you? Where were you, and what were you doing?

The idea for the subject matter didn’t really come to fruition the way it normally does for me. This chord progression came up towards the end of my tracking sessions with the EP “Lancaster” in 2021. I was personally going through this with someone very close to me and when things came to some closure mentally I had time to heal, rebuild and reflect. At that point the lyrics absolutely poured out of me. There was also some writing credit to my dear friend’s and producers / engineers Danny Bernini & Paul McNamara at Spirit House Recording.

What is your favorite song to listen to right now and why?

My Favorite song right now is by John Moreland “ Cherokee “. First off, it’s beautifully constructed in every way. This song for me has gotten me through some very dark times in the last 3 years. His delivery and writing ability that invites you in to what he feels is amazing. And I’m a huge sucker for a sad inspirational songs.

What do you want your listeners to know about you?

I want my listeners to know that if there’s anything that I’ve written or created musically that helped anyone in anyway then I’m a successful artist in my opinion. That’s what these songs do for me… I would like my listeners to know that everything I create is very personal and at the same time widespread In relatability. Meaning it’s created for us to learn, build, and grow together.

LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/AlexRohanAcoustic
https://www.Instagram.com/AlexRohanMusic