“It’s not my job to be giving almost half of me when it’s just the attention that you crave.” Isn’t that how it often is with people? Especially in today’s world of dating with how everyone is either ghosting or playing games or just otherwise leading someone on. This song tells all about the perils of getting involved with anyone.
Released on February 12, 2022, Headrush’s “not my job” dives into the soul crushing realization of unreciprocated love. Sometimes it’s unintentional, but often the other party knows fully well that they’re leading you on and it’s a brutal blow to the gut. The song speaks to that but also that it’s not your job to stick around to make someone else feel good about themselves.
“Not my job” opens with a catchy guitar riff that is meshed perfectly with the lyrics before percussion and other instruments are added. It’s a feel-good, get your dance on kind of song about doing away with someone who is harming your mental wellbeing, especially when you know they’re never going to change their behavior or feelings.
This song has the same feel-good vibes Headrush’s last two songs “Reckless” and “Wallflower” have. It’s safe to say he may have found his true sound.
Headrush was formed in 2019. The solo project was formed in the basement of his Massachusetts home. He does the songwriting, the instrumentals, and the production of all his music and is inspired by many punk, emo, and alternative bands of the 1990s and early 2000s.
Q&A with Headrush
Q: You started Headrush in 2019. What got you started and into music?
HEADRUSH: Well, I started playing classical guitar when I was like five or six, and even though I dreaded the music, that’s when I really fell in love with the instrument. When I was in middle school I had a little punk rock band called No Bueno which ended when I got to high school. During a really rough freshman year, I started recording demos of the songs I was writing and taught myself about music production and mixing. With that, one of my biggest inspirations is Dave Grohl, and after I heard the story of how he wrote and recorded every instrument on the first Foo Fighters record himself, I thought, “Why can’t I do that?”. So that’s what I did; I decided I was going to be a one-man band, writing, recording, and mixing every aspect of my music. The rest is history.
Q: You say you take inspiration from some of the emo, punk, and alternative bands from the 90s and early 2000s. Are there any in particular you draw from most?
HEADRUSH: Like I said earlier, Dave Grohl is a hero of mine, so obviously, Nirvana and Foo Fighters influence a lot of my sound. But I really love this new pop-punk/emo revival wave that’s been going on for the last few years, with bands like The Story So Far and Modern Baseball being a few of the artists that really light me up. I listen to everything though.
Q: I absolutely love “not my job” and the meaning behind the lyrics. What was your creative process in writing and then producing it?
HEADRUSH: For me, I start every song with the music. I’ll write and record the entire arrangement and then let the vibe of what I’ve recorded guide the lyrics a little bit. In the case of not my job, the hook/chorus just kind of came naturally as I was recording the guitar parts of that section. I feel like that’s when I write my best songs; when I don’t have to think about it too much it kind of just pours out of me. I was going for a Top 40ish type pop sound with this record, so I knew starting the chorus, something that people will remember when they listen to it, would be the way to go. I always try to throw in sections that meander away from the typical chord progression that repeats throughout most of the song, because when you bring that main progression back I feel like it has a much bigger impact on the listener.
Q: What has been one of the most significant moments in your musical journey so far?
HEADRUSH: The most significant moments in my music career are just when people hit me up and say things like “Your song really spoke to me, I’ve been there before”, which really makes me feel like I’m doing something right. Recently my music has been getting a lot more attention; I’ve been on the radio, I’ve had articles written about me, people share my stuff on social media, and all of that is great, but knowing that something you wrote moved somebody and that they had an emotional response to it is unbeatable. I feel like that’s the role of any good song; to make people feel something. As long as I’m forging that connection to listeners through my music, I’ll know I’ve done my job.
Q: Who would you love to collaborate with?
HEADRUSH: There are so many people of all different genres I think I could make dope music with. I’d love to work with Ashes to Amber, I think they have a super unique sound and I feel the blend of our music could be something really cool. TWAM is another up-and-coming artist from my area that I think has a lot of potential, so I’d definitely want to work with him too.
Q: Any advice for those wanting to get into a music career?
HEADRUSH: Don’t make music for other people, make music for yourself. Not everyone is going like the songs you write, and not everyone is going to understand your vision. But I promise you if you really love music and you’re writing music that feels true to you, people will notice that and your audience will develop naturally.
Reviewed & Interviewed by Dana L. Sullivan
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