Michael Bernard Fitzgerald Provides an Antidote to the Ever-Quickening Pace of Modern Life on Earnest & Exploratory Horizon Lines LP feat. Organic Title Track
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald’s sixth studio album, Horizon Lines, is a collection of songs that reflect on a set of feelings that he thinks are pretty universal these days.
“So much to do, the days feeling shorter, managing stress with the pace feeling quicker – I think the lyrics are about doubling down on hope to get through it all and appreciating the beautiful moments along the way,” Fitzgerald explains.
Partnering with longtime friend and trusted producer Josh Rob Gwilliam, the pair navigated their new realities of fatherhood and the reopening world by collaborating remotely – sharing voice notes, percussion loops, and audio files amongst sleepless nights and nap times.
This unconventional approach led to a record that captures the essence of finding oneself in a new way, often with the gentle sounds of Fitzgerald’s family life making their way into the final mixes.
Horizon Lines’ title track combines organic and electronic elements – acoustic guitar, big drums off the top, along with processed omnichord and organ bass to translate Fitzgerald’s experience of the beautiful lines of the horizon as the ever present reminder of days passing.
Michael shares,
“I felt like the days were slipping by, marked by these beautiful lines of colour at sunrise and sunset. The days themselves blending into a bit of a haze. I caught myself noticing how beautiful the colours looked out the window, but feeling like the days were slipping at the same time. There is beauty in the moment, things to be thankful for, and the current chapters will continue to evolve. Eventually there is calm and rest and it will all be part of the story.“
The honesty and detail of Michael Bernard Fitzgerald’s writing on Horizon Lines finds the artist viewing life in a holistic way and taking a step back to witness all of the textures going on day-to-day. After experiencing the significant change of becoming a father during the album’s writing process, Fitzgerald now feels that the changes to his work have afforded him the ability to feel the “full picture.”
These core concepts were sonically built out with the help of choir lead Jason McGee (Killer Mike, Post Malone, Ed Sheeran), electric guitarist Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty), as well as bassists Chris Byrne and Tyler Chester (Madison Cunningham, Sara Bareilles).
“What came out of this process was something I think resonates with so many people these days. Finding ourselves again – in a new way, forcing ourselves to trust the process until we get there.“
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