The time has finally come for the release of Chain Gang of 1974’s fourth LP, Honey Moon Drips! The project of musician Kamtin Mohager, Chain Gang of 1974 specialize in dark, moody indie-pop vibes and ’80s nostalgia that will most likely have you feeling everything you’ve ever felt from your teenage years up to the present within minutes of just only one track.
The follow up to 2017’s FELT, new record Honey Moon Drips is best taken in on a starry, late night drive, neon lights ablaze with the car stereo turned up all the way. A rebirth of sorts for Mohager, Honey Moon Drips takes the listener on a journey from darkness to light as one discovers their self-worth by going through the motions of heartbreak, existential fear, temptation, and romance.
While the best albums tend to always be a therapy session for the artist, Honey Moon Drips proves to be some of Mohager’s best work yet, so there was no question that we just had to ask him to dive into the record with us for this exclusive track-by-track commentary! Enjoy and don’t forget to get the album here! (We suggest grabbing a limited edition vinyl before they’re gone forever!)
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Maybe I now believe in life after death, but for me, the Chain Gang Of 1974 died after 2017’s FELT. That drive and passion that an artist is supposed to carry was completely sucked out by the ways of the music industry. I was sick and tired of playing “the game” and wanted nothing more to do with the ass kissing of the people who truly didn’t care about me. I’m sharing this with you because it paints the picture of how Honey Moon Drips was conceived. It came from a place of complete darkness. But by the end of it, I made a record that turned me into an extremely happy and confident person. I feel that this album, and it’s creators, deserve this prelude because these songs represent a feeling that is specific to the individual listener. To me, that is the most important part of an album.
“Honey Moon Drips”
I’m always drawn to the curation of an album and how the songs play out. This record deserved an intro which represented the overall feel and aesthetic of the body of work. I want the listener to know what they are getting themselves into.
“Do You Mind?”
In comparison to the rest of the record, this is one of the only” bangers” on here. I have spent my entire career purposely writing songs, that sonically, are very large. I went into this process knowing that that wasn’t the objective. But even with that mindset, this track just organically happened. Jason Suwito of SirSly (who produced/co-wrote the song) and I were in his studio in Costa Mesa tinkering with a completely different idea for hours. We got to the point where we were stumped as to where the song needed to go, so we just started jamming. The next thing we knew, this track was born and finished within 4 hours. From a lyrical standpoint (and like most of the album), I decided to turn the camera on myself and talk about my insecurities and flaws as a human being.
“Giving It Up”
Most male figures in music don’t put focus on body issues. I didn’t realize until recently that I have been suffering from body dysmorphia for most of my life and just didn’t want to admit it. I wanted to do my part in letting others know that it’s okay to talk about it. The song focuses on those struggles and the added struggles that come with it all. At the end of the day, you’re beautiful how you are. It might just take some time and practice to teach yourself that.
“YDLMA”
Without this song, I don’t think this album would exist. This was the song that made me think to myself “Oh yes! This is what I want the album to sound like!” It’s always an interesting feeling when you can clearly see that your significant other no longer feels the way they once did for you. It’s a very simple, yet bold statement. “You don’t love me anymore.”
“The Hurt Is Good”
This may have been the first song that Nathaniel Motte (member of 3OH!3 and co-writer/producer for 7 songs on the album) and I did together. It was an interesting pairing due to him and I coming from different musical backgrounds. But having been extremely close friends since 2008, it only made sense for him and I to try and write music together. We decided to get together and begin working on some ideas. I found a lot of inspiration from classic artists like Bruce Hornsby and The Blue Nile, along with modern pop artists like LANY. So I knew the elements that needed to be incorporated. After a few hours, we knew that there was something really special in the way we worked together. We were able to naturally bounce ideas off of each other without egos getting in the way.
“Fervor”
Instrumental interludes are always fun to me. The more records I make, the more of these I want to do. Also, I have been wanting to title a song this for years now.
“Times We Had”
The cinematic qualities of this song really got to me. As you listen to the album, you’ll notice that the Juno keyboard is the star of the show. It evokes this very vulnerable feeling when a chord is sustained. It beautifully dances around the other notes of the song to create this perfect combination of elements. I think anyone who has lost a relationship can relate to those memories that haunt you as the years move by.
“I Think We Need To Sleep”
There’s nothing worse than a night out and an argument that follows. Those moments where no one can be wrong. Those moments where every point is ignored and the only thing that makes sense is to just go to sleep. Again, I took an approach of literalism, singing about my own music and my own life. I have found that people relate to my own problems/struggles. And as someone who has been doing this for many years, it’s become my form of therapy. I worked on this track with John Kunkel of The New Division. Him and I did a lot of work together last year, so it was nice to have something to show for on this new full length.
“Philosophy Of Love”
We all want someone who, in a sense, is pure of infidelities. You don’t want to touch a hand knowing that it was secretly touching another’s the night before.
“Bends” (ft. TWINKIDS)
I was absolutely thrilled to finally be able to work with Matt and Gene of TWINKIDS. Not only are they absolutely incredible musicians, but they’re also two of the kindest people I’ve ever met. We had become friends a few years ago and have been following each others careers ever since. As I was putting the album together, I reached out to them to see if they wanted to collab on something. We messed around with an idea for a few hours, but nothing was really clicking. I then asked them if they had anything they had been working on, and Matt showed me the instrumental of what is now known as “Bends.” I’m pretty sure he also had the first verse written and demoed as well. I immediately fell in love and knew that this had to be our song. The rest came naturally. Definitely one of my favorite songs on the album.
“Champagne Saturday”
This song was a bit different for me. I haven’t ever really explored hip-hop type beats/production on any of my records. But that’s the beautiful thing about collaborating with artists that come from different backgrounds. Nathaniel started exploring the general drum patterns as I just stood back and let him do his thing. There’s always that part of me that feels a bit unsure when exploring something new, but I taught myself to let that go during the creative process of this album. I think that’s why I made a record that is different from my other efforts. I think we even made a joke about how we wanted Drake to sing on the bridge (lol).
“4AM, Still Lonely”
This is the kind of song that I have always wanted to release. Nathaniel showed me the beginning piano part and I instantly fell in love. Going back to the Bruce Hornsby influence, I think this song screams it. There’s that feeling when you wake up in the middle of the night where everything hits you at once. I like to call it “night guilt.” The mind starts running, and the next thing you know, you’re staring at the ceiling.
“Such A Shame”
Hands down, this is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written. Jason Suwito and I worked on this song back in early 2019. when the idea of the album started to come together, I instantly knew that this song had to make the cut. Very influenced by my love for shoegaze and 80’s new romantic music. And lyrically, this one really hits close to the heart. In my opinion, this is the perfect way to close this album and chapter of this band. I never really know what I’m going to do next with this project just because I’m always inspired by new things. But this time, at least I have this song. This one means a lot to me.
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