On Your Mind

Ryan Newell of clients Sister Hazel: I wrote “On Your Mind” on “BAM!” about Jett’s mother and her struggle with dementia. It can come across as a love song, but that’s the real meaning.

For the solo, I used an acoustic guitar, because the vibe called for it. We recorded it at Nickel and Dime Studios in Atlanta. I went into the booth and said, “I’ll just try something and we’ll go from there.” The very first thing I played was the take we used. That does not happen often.

When you’re in the booth, everyone else is in the control room. After you finish a take, there is this long, uncomfortable silence. You know they’re talking about what you just played, but you can’t hear them. Silence. You assume everyone is tearing you apart. You are waiting for them to push the talk-back and say, “Hey… maybe try another one.”

After I played this solo, I sat in silence for probably two full minutes. I thought, “Oh no.” Then the producer pushed the talk-back and unceremoniously said, “That’s it. I think we got it.”

I said, “You don’t want me to do another one?”

He said, “No, you’re not going to beat that. Come on in.”

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