NOTE: THIS TRACK HASN'T BEEN MASTERED YET, AND SO YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP A BIT.
What's up with the photo I've posted here with the new song? (you well may ask). Well, here's the explanation:
I've decided to make my upcoming release a "concept album," despite the fact that I've never really liked concept albums in the past and am suspicious of the whole concept, artistically speaking. But since this will be my 24th solo album, and I try never to repeat myself, I guess it's time to try out the format to see if I can do something with it that I actually like.
Here's the concept:
An alien crashes on Earth, with no chance to get home. Using his powers to blend in, he sets about exploring his new surroundings in a country called the USA. He encounters baffling and alarming chaos and duplicity, with the few humans who are trying to be better than their instincts and programming feeling overwhelmed and disillusioned at the behavior of others around them. Some leave their home country, conflicted, in search of a more altruistic community to live in. Traveling farther afield, our alien observers the desperate search for love amidst the crumbling world civilization. He is stunned by those who refuse to see their situation for what it is, hiding away in churches or in meaningless virtual games.
Infiltrating the gatherings of the parasitic rich, our alien meets image consultants, agents and PR specialists who bray and boast of their exploitations--regaling him with tales of manufactured outrage on behalf of their “artist” clients to generate something called “clicks” and “buzz.” Caught up in this whirlwind, our alien finds himself leading a punk band with a giant PR machine behind it, but soon enough recoils from his handlers and breaks free.
As the societal collapse approaches terminal velocity, our alien feels a planetary consciousness stir, as the Earth attempts to intervene and rid itself of some of the most destructive monkeys infesting its skin. And as the alien Earth environment wears him down, our involuntary visitor feels a profound loneliness as all that he has seen and experienced weighs heavily upon him. In his final moments, he dreams of how it might have been if the planet’s human inhabitants had only felt some sense of connection and common purpose between each other.
This new song, "These Threads," wil be the last song on the album and will represent the alien's final dream. This song, musically and production-wise, had a difficult birthing process and after listening to so many versions of the mixes with just small variations between them, I'm not sure I've kept my perspective throughout the process. You be the judge :-)
These Threads (© 2026 Walter Ehresman)
I saw one thread—
impossibly long and slender;
Rising up to verdant green;
A natural miracle I’ve seen.
I saw two threads—
divergent but near;
Both climbing, eyes ahead;
Unchecked by mortal dread.
[chorus]
Only visible in the sun;
Walk heedless, you’ll bring them down;
And so you have to look around……
intention in this shared system.
I saw three threads—
(such myriad are spun);
Connected is the only way—
no one will stand alone today.
Walter Ehresman: vocals, keyboards and key percussion, electric 12-string guitar.
For official Walter Ehresman solo and band releases, please click here: https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/
p. 2026 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved.
