A radiant folk song built on grief and gratitude, “Glad” aches in a good way as The Bygones turn bruised hearts and nostalgia into a dreamy, smile-inducing reverie.
for fans of The Mamas & the Papas, Big Thief, Simon & Garfunkel
Stream: “Glad” – The Bygones
“I’m glad I knew you,” The Bygones’ Allison Young sings at the start of her band’s latest single. There’s so much emotion packed into these five words that, brought together, become something far greater than the sum of their parts.
Singing sweetly over bright acoustic guitar strums and a bustling, melodic bass line, Young is a beacon of bittersweet warmth: Her tone is wistful, yet tender as she unpacks an ill-fated relationship piece by piece, ultimately taking what we would call the “high road” and looking back not in anger, but with a gentle, heartfelt smile. A radiant folk song built on grief and gratitude, “Glad” aches in a good way as The Bygones turn bruised hearts and nostalgia into a dreamy, smile-inducing reverie.
I’m glad I knew you
I saw into your world
Filled up with colors
I’d never seen before
I’m glad I knew you
For as long as I did
You told me what you dreamed about at night
What made you happy as a kid
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Glad,” the latest single taken off The Bygones’ forthcoming self-titled debut album, out April 4, 2024 via Tonetree Music. The duo of Nashville’s Allison Young and Brooklyn’s Josh Turner, The Bygones have introduced themselves slowly over the past two years as a formidable and exciting new singer/songwriter duo.
Emulating the ’60s and ’70s golden age of music – think everyone from The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel, to ELO’s Jeff Lynne and beyond – their music crosses generations and bridges cultures, pulling everything from bossa nova to country and jazz into their refreshingly eclectic indie folk rock sound.
Following January’s Wilco-esque “Whatever That Is,” The Bygones‘ lush and lilting sophomore single, “Glad” finds the duo building a glistening and golden-hued world through captivating instrumentals and soul-stirring vocal performance.
They hit their high in a sun-kissed chorus full of breathtaking harmony and a seductive, spirited flute solo that somehow echoes the lyrics’ spirit of acceptance, appreciation, and moving on gracefully:
And I think about you still
I think that I always will
And I think about the times you held me
And called me yours
And now somebody else is loving you
I am glad they get to know you too
“Although this was one of the first songs I brought to Josh for this album, it took a lot of work and grief processing to get to a place where I could write it,” Allison Young tells Atwood Magazine. “I wanted to look back on a recent relationship from a place not only of understanding, but also of gratitude, not dwelling on the fact that it’s over but rather on the fact that we got to have the time together at all. The last and hardest step was finding gratitude that he gets to love again. Finding love, whether it’s for a lifetime or a season, will always be a really beautiful thing, and everyone deserves to be in love.”
“I thought the tempo changes in my demo would go away in the studio version, but we performed the takes all live with no click, and the band nailed the time changes, which made space for a cathartic relaxation into the message of the chorus, ‘Now somebody else is loving you, and I am glad they get to know you too.'”
I’m glad I knew you
And don’t you feel bad now
Cause didn’t we have the thing
That everyone’s dying to have
But some things just don’t last
I learned that early on
But I’m glad I knew you
Now that you’re gone
And I think about you still
I think that I always will
Love doesn’t always work out the way we hope it will. Life throws us curveballs, and relationships don’t always weather all the storms. Still, it takes a particularly big heart – and a bold voice – to rise above the squabbles, the anger, the hurt, and instead look at an ex and wish them the very best.
Perfectly timed to make for a far more interesting love song than most on the market, “Glad” is achingly beautiful and utterly enchanting. Stream The Bygones’ latest single exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and stay tuned for the duo’s forthcoming debut album, out this April!
And I think about the times you held me
And called me yours
And now somebody else is loving you
And I am glad they get to know you too
And I think about the times you held me
And called me yours
And now somebody else is loving you
And I am glad they get to know you
And think about the times you held me
And called me yours
And now somebody else is loving you
I am glad they get to know you too
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:: connect with The Bygones here ::
Stream: “Glad” – The Bygones
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© Brett Warren
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