The Denver-based Indie Rock band Instant Empire has announced the release of their second single, “Paper Thin,” taken from their upcoming fourth album, Standing Eight Count. “Paper Thin” follows the previously released lead single “Tiny Flashes” and reflects on a fragile moment of hope. Standing Eight Count will be released digitally on March 31, 2023.
Instant Empire’s Scotty Saunders talks about “Paper Thin”:
“With some songs, you can recall exactly where you were when you began writing it. Paper Thin is one of those songs: December 31, 2019, driving north across the New Mexico border into Colorado. It was one of those perfectly clear, blue-sky days. Maybe the words for this song were influenced by the hope that often accompanies a new year. Regardless, 2019 had been a tough year. Little did I know when I started writing this song what the years 2020-21 would have in store.
Sometimes on a long drive, you enter that weird mind-state where you’re moving through space and time at great speeds, but your mind enters a bit of a dream-like state … and you allow it to wander. I remember rounding a corner during that drive, and the Sangre de Cristo mountain range came into full view. Whitecap mountains framed against a clear blue sky.
Life often feels fleeting. Especially the good moments. I remember driving north, somewhat in awe of the mountain skyline … and for the first time, letting my mind wander, feeling like however small the year and age had made me feel, that at that moment, it felt like everything was alright. Maybe I could let go of my worries, the troubles we drag around behind us for years, lifetimes … at that moment, I felt resilient and hopeful.
Life often feels fleeting. Especially the good moments. I remember driving north, somewhat in awe of the mountain skyline … and for the first time, letting my mind wander, feeling like however small the year and age had made me feel, that at that moment, it felt like everything was alright. Maybe I could let go of my worries, the troubles we drag around behind us for years, lifetimes … at that moment, I felt resilient and hopeful.
Like any feeling of jubilation, it faded. But, driving north on I-25, I started frantically scribbling the words to the song in my head. Those words scribbled on the drive that day remain mostly unchanged in the song that ultimately became Paper Thin. This is the final song on an album that is unbearably dark in spots … it was really important to me that we end the album with a glimmer of fleeting hope illuminating all the darkness that came before it.
Paper Thin serves as a moment of hope on Standing Eight Count. Equal parts resilient and resigned. Musically we really wanted to make sure we gave this song space. The instrumentation is super sparse, but in typical Instant Empire fashion, the song builds into something big … nearly exploding towards the end, in perfect harmony to the lyrical sentiment that comes along with the joy of letting go … of finally being at ease. This seemed the perfect and logical end to the album. We hope you find something in it …”
