Today’s Song: Finding Hope in Conflict with Mark Johns’ “Wait Till Tmrw”

Mark Johns © David Murphy
Mark Johns © David Murphy

Pop culture often paints love as an effortless endeavor, with streamlined stories of love-at-first-sight and cheesy pick-up lines, while purposefully glossing over anything resembling hardship. But the truth, as we all know, is that love involves conflict. And more often than not, how we choose to deal with the conflict in our relationship says the most about the future we have with our partner. Mark Johns addresses just that on her heartfelt and poignantly vulnerable pop tune, “Wait Till Tmrw.”

Listen: “Wait Till Tmrw” – Mark Johns

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“Wait Till Tmrw” is the closing number on Mark Johns’ debut Molino EP (November 2016 via OWSLA). In the first verse, Johns describes an all-too familiar scene of a couple’s argument going nowhere fast:

We keep moving but we’re in the same place
Night is over and we’re talking ’bout this again
Won’t be long before a little too late
Let’s turn the lights out
Mark Johns © David Murphy
Mark Johns © David Murphy

Getting trapped in the revolving door of arguments is draining, but many of us would rather not face the uncertainty of going to bed without resolving the issue at hand. Johns’ lyrics suggest leaving it all in the dark in hopes that the morning sun will shed light on the root of the problem, and its answer.

The moon is saying, go sleep
Give your anger to me to keep
It can wait till tomorrow

An honest expression of just how melancholy fights rooted in love can be, “Wait Till Tmrw” is a breath of fresh air. With low-key pop production, the track does more than sound open and pure, it feels that way. Echo effects highlight Johns’ voice as it glides over finger snaps, intermittent guitar riffs and slow snares to create a warm, delicate vibe. Through their simplicity, Johns’ lyrics are able to tug at our heartstrings in a way that allows for a deep and authentic connection to the track.

When the sun comes out for the day
And you know what you wanna say
Let it wait till tomorrow
Yeah, it can wait till tomorrow

While it may be a sad song at its core (and most of its exterior), “Wait Till Tmrw” also manages to exhibit hope. The strongest relationships can stand a night of uncertainty, and when the dust settles, we may realize our true feelings don’t match up with our words and actions from the night before. Frightening as it may be to disagree with your partner, Johns teaches us that trust, patience and a little bit of sunlight can brighten even the darkest of fights. That being said, don’t give up on each other yet, because saying goodnight isn’t the same as saying goodbye.

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cover: Mark Johns © David Murphy

Molino – Mark Johns

Molino EP - Mark Johns
Molino EP – Mark Johns
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