The Emotional Outburst We Call A Song
Cris Cohen: There are some really interesting instrumentals on this album. Besides the obvious difference of lyrics versus non-lyrics, for you, how is it different the way you approach an instrumental versus a song with lyrics?
Dennis Atlas: Wow. That’s a great and deep question to start with.
It’s funny. I kind of approach it the same way. Because to me instrumental music has just as much meaning built into it as something that has lyrics. When I’m writing a song, I’m asking myself and I’m asking the song, “What are you trying to say? What is it that’s trying to be expressed here?”
And where is this coming from? What was the experience that is causing this emotional outburst, which we call a song, which we call music and art?
With the song “Surprises From Within,” that title came about really quickly. As soon as I heard those themes, as soon as I heard those melodies and the energy of that song, I kind of heard the words, “surprises from within.” That perfectly envelops that concept of when music comes out from within, is a surprise, and teaches you what you’ve been thinking about.