KEXP Premiere: Rainwater – Coffee

Moving homes can be hard. Even if you're staying in the same city, there's a sense of emotional attachment that can be hard to let go of — after all, you're making a major adjustment to the functionality of your everyday life. If you're making a cross-country move, well, you can imagine the internal drama you might have to deal with that. That's where folk-rock act Rainwater's Blake Luley found himself as he uprooted his life and moved from New York to Seattle. All the bubbling uncertainty began to manifest itself into songs as he drove across the country, culminating in the band's upcoming Place EP, out November 3rd via Furious Hooves.

The recordings were made with musicians from both Seattle and New York, mirroring the split mindset Luley sounds like he was experiencing while writing the songs. But within this inner turmoil comes beauty and stillness. On their latest single, "Coffee", the weariness of the road hangs heaven in Luley's lyrics. He's struggling to stay awake but focused on what he feels he has to do — build a new home. An organ twirls under the delicately picked acoustic guitar while Luley softly cries out, "Things are okay/I feel lingering pain/From losing my purpose." Just as he feels divided between two literal places, his mind is troubled between feeling like he's making the right decision or wondering why he's torturing himself. It's a complex and tangled ballad, but not without a comforting warmth. Whatever qualms the move may have stirred in his mind, Seattle's lucky to have these lovely sounds in our city.

Rainwater plays their album release this Thursday, November 2nd at the Sunset Tavern with Thousands and Drew Fitchette. To stay in the loop on future happenings with the band, follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Place is available for pre-order now, but in the meantime you can stream "Coffee" below.