Slark Moan Explores Miscommunication With Melodic New Track “Honesty”

Slark Moan
Photo by Daniel Meigs

On August 9, Slark Moan — the cleverly named project of Nashville-based artist Mark Sloan — will release his sophomore album, Superstition For The Consumer Romantic. Ahead of the album’s release, Sloan has shared a new track, “Honesty,” premiering below.

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“Honesty” is melodic, piano-driven folk-rock in the vein of Aaron Lee Tasjan and Robert Ellis, built on a complex, unexpected arrangement and accented by rootsy psychedelia and Beach Boys-esque vocal harmonies.

Sloan wrote the song in the wake of discovering his wife had a thyroid tumor, which resulted in surgery and left her in difficult health for months following the removal of her thyroid. The song explores communication styles and how they can clash during times of heightened stress and, as Sloan puts it, “suspending one’s own cultural norm to understand someone else’s perspective, which supports effective communication and trust in a relationship.”

“We fought way more than normal, and began to notice a common component of our arguments: we were both reverting to the communication style we were raised with,” Sloan says. “My family communicates in a very blunt, honest, say-everything-and-anything-that-comes-to-your-mind kind of way, and my partner’s family communicated in a more sensitive, empathetic and emotional way. Thus, I would be blunt and she would be sensitive, which caused a lot of miscommunication and made it difficult to truly listen and understand each other.”

Sloan recorded Superstition For The Consumer Romantic at his home studio during breaks from touring with artists like Kelsey Waldon and Margo Price. He plays the majority of the instruments on the album, which comprises 10 tracks spanning Americana, rock, jazz and pop.

Listen to “Honesty” below.

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