‘The Deep End’ kicks off like its the soundtrack from a tense standoff in the climax of a Western movie. This definitive piece of Americana from Paige Shannon is wonderfully arranged, with a constant, brooding, and pounding tension slowly creeping up on you as the song progresses. Shannon’s vocal control is undeniably sublime, with an emotional range that can leave you weeping or smiling within the span of a single track. With influences from a myriad of country icons like Joni Mitchell, Jason Isbell, Taylor Swift, Brandi Carlile, and Patty Griffin, she’s clearly studied from the greats to become who she is now.
The song’s about the path forward while growing up, about taking that plunge into an unknown adventure that’s filled with fear and failure. Rather than let it loom over you, sometime falling into the deep end is all it takes to emerge out from the other side successful and powerful.
“This single, and my forthcoming EP as a whole, were both inspired by me moving away from home into my first apartment. Feelings of fear, excitement, and nostalgia permeate the music for sure.”
To me, it’s the tension that makes this song so riveting. It’s cinematic country done wonderfully right.