Here’s an understatement to end all understatements: We live in crazy times. Degenerate politics and politicians, the end of “truth” and “facts,” and the ever-expanding filmography of James Franco have all become the norm. What’s worse, all that external B.S. can eventually become personal, internal B.S. It’s enough to drive someone to the edge.
Enter Brett Newski. In “I’m Paranoid,” the second single from 2017’s The Worst Of Brett Newski: Songs To Sink The American Dream, the tireless guitar-rock troubadour rattles off a list of all the things he doesn’t trust: neighbors, bosses, water, cops, news, TV, banks, “the Army, the guns, and the tanks.” Happily, since it’s Brett Newski, all that unease is accompanied by an impossibly poppy and head-bopping alt-rock jam. Fun!
So…what’s going on in Newski’s head these days? The man himself explains:
“Overall, the last five years have been pretty lonely. They’ve been spent wandering through foreign lands (mostly solo) and figuring it out as I go. Three-month-long tours ridden with panic attacks, mental wobbles, and even paranoia brought valuable lessons about how to work with an “overactive” brain. There were plenty of moments where I thought about turning back, but it was pretty clear I’d come too far to put my tail between my legs and go home.
“While above-average levels of anxiety is something I’ll always deal with, spending less time alone has helped me understand the patterns in my head and accept the fact that humans aren’t built to be happy one-hundred percent of the time. We are not our minds. Our minds are just a glitchy GPS that sometimes spaz out and send us down the wrong road. I guess what I’m saying is…solo time is important to learn yourself, BUT have too much of it and you will get lost in your own racing mind. Find your people. Even if it’s just one or two or three. Find the people who bring a calming presence and help you relax. These are your pals for life. They will cure your brain from anxiety and paranoia in these manic modern times.”
We couldn’t agree more. Speaking of finding your people, Newski has found a good one in Michael Way, a Johannesburg, South Africa-based animator whose cartoon clip for “I’m Paranoid” contains shout-outs to apropos movie classics like They Live, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (the one with Donald Sutherland), Donnie Darko, and more. Cartoon Newski also gets abducted by aliens, and ends up in a witch’s cleavage.
Check out the video below, and catch Brett Newski live at the Cactus Club Friday, November 3 for a “Newski moves to Bay View” housewarming show. It’ll be fun. Trust us.