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May 13, 2021 By Caleb Campbell

As Nashville singer/songwriter Josh Benus—a.k.a. Glass Dove— describes, Half Life Wilderness, his upcoming debut album, began small. The album began to take shape in a small studio room with only Benus, producer Owen Biddle (The Roots, John Legend), a laptop, a microphone, a MIDI controller, and a pocket synth. From there the album has only grown in scale, becoming a cathartic alt pop expanse of detuned guitars, electronic beats, and vintage synths. Venus already has shared “Patterns of My Mind,” the first track from the album, and now is back, sharing “Just a Conversation,” premiering a day early with Under the Radar.

With “Just a Conversation” Glass Dove has penned a veritable indie rock anthem. It’s a fitting opener for the record, showing little evidence of the track’s stripped-back beginnings as it opens on thick waves of fuzzy guitar and droning synths. Tired of arguments and “long-winded games of chess that you never win,” the track finds Benus at odds with a friend or partner, recreating their fights in the form of driving indie rock.

As Benus explains, “‘Just a Conversation’ was originally written on acoustic guitar, but sonically, the song took on a life of its own. You’ll find square wave synth, doubled vocals, fuzzed out guitar during verses, Johnny Marr-esque licks ala The Smiths on the choruses, and vocal pans mimicking a shouting match between two people. The production only enhances the intended urgency and disconsolate nature of the lyrics.” Check out the song early below, pre-save the track here, and watch for Half Life Wilderness, releasing independently this year.