Music often emerges from moments in time, and Chicago synth-pop band Course has made the most of these moments. Lead singer Jess Robbins with drummer Chris Dye, synth/keys player Dan Ingenthron, along with new additions, guitarist Mikey Russell and bassist Brian Weekly, all came together in the moments before the COVID-19 pandemic reached the States. Their mutual inspirations held them together, and this week they have released another track, “Nick of Time,” off of their forthcoming, self-titled album. The new track follows in the band’s synth-pop style, but with a folky twist.
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“I wrote this song with my friend and fellow songwriter Kevin Prchal,” Robbins told American Songwriter. “I had been in a terrible relationship and getting out of it was the best thing that happened to me. I wrote a literary fiction story about pain and loss and then I wrote the chorus of the song before collaborating with Kevin. We worked on filling out the rest of it and used the story and my experience to guide the lyrics and vibe of the song.”
The vibe, recorded in Dripping Springs, Texas with Dan Duszynski, digs into Robbins’ past while transforming her experiences into the universal theme of escape. Sonically, “Nick of Time” expresses this metamorphosis via full vocals and folk instrumentals that spin a song full of movement. The band also pulls in supporting synths to bolster the track’s cathartic feeling. “I like the steady laid-back drive of the song and it’s always a song I love to sing live,” Robbins explained.
“The main theme of this song,” Robbins says, “is that even though it may be hard, and sometimes it may feel impossible to leave a bad, or even abusive relationship, you will be better off—and in my case I got out in the Nick of Time before things got worse.”
Check out “Nick of Time” below and watch for their album release later this spring.
Photo Courtesy of Course
