“Sometimes we need a reminder that mistakes happen,” says Gabe Lee. As much of a statement would define Lee’s early start as an artist in his teenage years and early 20s, a period in which the singer-songwriter is quick to admit he lacked direction. With that said, there is still much that the Nashville folkie gleaned from his earlier years that has been adopted into the framework of his more matured artistry today. His music still leans on the idea of being suitable for a rainy day, often establishing introspective, acoustic settings to detail a moment in the life of a character down on their luck.
Lee tells PopMatters of his new single, “When I started writing ‘Alright, Ok’, I burdened the subject character with many of my own perceived flaws and mistakes. She’s got nothin’ left to lose, seemingly determined on self-destruction. In doing so I became emotionally invested in the character, without quite the same attachment or bias I would have toward myself, kind of like reading someone’s description of you rather than looking in the mirror. By the time I got to the refrain I just wanted to provide her some sort of comfort or hope, which is how the real gut of the song came around! At its core a message about forgiveness, not only from others but equally as much from one’s self, ‘Alright, Ok’ is a reassurance that the deepest of doubts can and will, by some grace, be washed away.”
The strummy folk tune is the latest that the singer-songwriter is dropping from off of his upcoming album, farmland, featuring Lee’s gritty, resonant vocals amidst a twangy blend of acoustic instrumentation. The LP is set for release on 22 March.