Brand New Day

The former Rock Star: Supernova contestant gets very zen on this song. In our interview with Ryan Star, he told us: "A lot of the theme of this album 11:59 is all about the moment, and living in this moment, and this romantic carpe diem word we always heard, this phrase that we always heard growing up, and trying to make sense of it. I was living on a beach making the album and writing these words, and I was for the first time really connecting with myself, talking about mindful eating, which is really understanding food when you put it in your mouth. It's a better eating experience than sitting in front of the TV and stuffing your face. But really just recognizing what is happening right now. Here I am, making a record, living really a lonely life, because I was living all alone on the beach and just coming to the studio and then coming home and then going to the studio and writing.

So the song 'Brand New Day' was really about something's about to happen. Here we are, when you recognize exactly where you are in the moment, then something else is definitely going to happen the next moment. If you're really living in that snapshot life, then there's going to be another snapshot. Because during the day it's kind of like, well, what's coming next? I know every generation probably says, 'Oh, this is important,' or 'this is important.' But only some can truly live up to that at the end of the day. And I think this time period that we're looking at now is one of them. As I was writing the song, the whole world was changing. You had a guy named Barack Obama actually having a shot at the presidency, and all these things were happening. And on a social side, I thought it was very relevant that there was a brand new day coming for everybody. And on a personal level, there's a little story there, a Romeo and Juliet story, which always finds its way into my songs, about these kids, and hey, I'm gonna come to your window and we're getting out of this town, and let's not wake up your father. And no one can chase us. We're getting out of this small town. And with a little bit of an attitude. My favorite line is, 'they say that we're flying too high, well, get used to looking up.' There's no sky here, who says you can't do this? Who says you can't leave a small town? Who says you can't be what you want to be? And on a personal side, that's where I was coming from. Because I don't come from a place where people do what I do. I don't come from a family that does that. So that's the sentiment to that song. There's the social aspect to it, and then there's the very personal aspect to it."

This song was first released in 2009 on Ryan's Last Train Home EP, and it is the theme song to the TV show Lie To Me.

Regarding the lyrics, "turn back the clock, I need more time," Ryan told us: "There are so many time references in my songs, and I think moving forward into the brand new day I was thinking, Well, where have I come from? And I think it was like, Who am I? Where have I come from to be at this exact moment right now with you? And it's been a while since I've sat there writing the words, but I would think that that's where I was coming from.
I kept on thinking 'clock,' I kept on thinking time, because one of my songs has literally a clock sound in the beginning. 'Time, time, time,' so when you think of it enough they all creep their way in. And yeah, 'turn back the clock, give me some time, I need to break out and make a new name.' It says, 'and make a new name,' and I think I must have been thinking that I need to see where I've come from. Like, where did all this happen? Flashback to when I was 7 and remembered picking up a guitar or whatever. Who was that person? Because I'm moving forward into my new self now. And who am I bringing with me?
By the way, it's funny, I was just having a conversation with one of my guru inspirational friends named Stoney. And he told me, 'Every once in a while pick up a picture of yourself when you were a kid, and transform yourself back to that moment when you were a kid. It's so therapeutic. It's better than a therapy session. Just stare at yourself as a kid, and then channel that, and remember who it is.' And he brought up that line, and it makes me think that maybe I had that conversation with him yesterday for that. It's like somehow you're not in the moment if you're reminiscing, it's just where you are now. But I think maybe that kid is always in us, and we've gotta take him with us as we move forward. "