West Friends On the Making Of “It Is What It Is”
What inspired you to write the lyrics/music for "It Is What It Is?"
Isaiah: Thinking back on writing the initial demo, I remember wanting to incorporate some more math-y elements into a song. The final result definitely isn’t too much of a thinker, but it gives us a chance to showcase different time signatures, chord progressions, lyric structure, etc. It wasn’t until after all was said and done that I thought maybe it ventured into the nu metal realm?
Lyrically, I wanted to express how easy it is to become overwhelmed by the constant input of information we are receiving and become apathetic to it all. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve had to learn that it’s impossible (and ineffective) to be pulled in every direction at the same time. You really have to choose what you dedicate your energy towards and commit to changing those things for the better.
Jordan: Isaiah came to the table with the instrumental demo (lovingly titled “Korn Demo” because apparently we’re nu-metal now). It was the second or third demo we had for the project, and it was wildly different from the more traditional pop-punk tracks we started with. Which I loved, and think helped break down some internal walls about what our band should sound like; we didn’t have to play within any sandbox, and could sound like Korn if we wanted!
At the time I heard the demo, I was dealing with some feelings most early-30-year-olds can likely resonate with — I was putting so much effort into friendships that weren’t necessarily fulfilling or reciprocal. We’d go out to bars and get fucked up, and the next day you’re left feeling hungover and wondering if this is what it’s all about. We all just want a sense of belonging, of being wanted, and to be fulfilled by people in our life — but at this age I just have less time and energy to spend on relationships that don’t bring me happiness or true community. So that’s where my head was at writing the verses, and then Isaiah brought it home with his own perspective and that soaring chorus.
How did you work with the producer or engineers to bring your vision for this song to life?
Isaiah: I think Jordan is really the genius behind 90% of the production on this song (and this record as a whole). I have a ton of trust in his vision and ear. I basically brought him the skeleton of a song and he fleshed it out to be the anthem it became! I think we did fight over how weird the time signatures could possibly be, but really it was more of a discussion on what was “cool” vs “actually listenable music”.
Jordan: We self-produced and engineered the whole record! Our approach for this album was interesting because Isaiah lives in Seattle, I was in San Francisco and we sent ideas back and forth. We worked with Tom Iannello to mix and master the record, and he definitely brought out some incredible tones and ear candy in the song that elevates it.
I will say, my “ah-ha” moment of thinking, “wow this is a dope song” was toward the end of the process. There’s a clean lead guitar part over the main riffs and the chorus that’s almost creepy and circusy, and once I heard that in the mix, I knew we had a great song.
Is there a particular message or theme you hope listeners take away from "It Is What It Is?"
Isaiah: You can’t fake your way through everything. Learn to communicate deeper than surface level and allow others to support you. Sometimes just having what I like to call a “decompression session” with your friends can help you feel less overwhelmed and crazy.
Jordan: That in the moment, you can put on a smile and go through the motions of life, but in the end you make your own happiness. No one is going to fulfill you as much as you will yourself. So find the people and community that make you your best self, and don’t waste your time and energy on the things or people that leave you feeling empty, out of place, or unwanted.
What is your creative vision as a duo?
Isaiah: To become a legacy act limping from arena show to arena show at 70, 80, even 90 years old! For real though, I think this started as a fun way to pay homage to the music we loved growing up, but, as the album started taking shape, quickly became a serious artistic endeavor. The dream would be to continue creating music that’s bigger than the sum of its parts… And I guess have a rad time doing it!
Jordan: Speaking for myself, I don’t want to be a nostalgia machine playing rip-offs of bands we admire; I want to take what we love and learned from artists we grew up with, and make something new and authentic to us. We’re technically a pop-punk band, but we have moments of all different genres in this album. There’s no formula that we feel like we need to stick to, which is freeing. This first record was an exercise in getting to write and record with one of my best friends, and I only want to grow in our musical prowess from here. So stay tuned for that Euro tech-house record coming in 2026!
Are there any upcoming projects or releases that you're particularly excited about?
Isaiah: I think we’re mostly focused on the rollout of this record and then possibly putting together a short run of shows (stay tuned for that). I know the thoughts of a second record have already started creeping into our texts so there’s always more music to be made!
Jordan: Not to spoil our grand marketing plans and piss off our PR team (our PR team is us), but our final single before the album comes out (in June) has a special place in my heart. It’s the first song we demoed before we even realized we were making an album (or a band, for that matter). It’s called “Tell Me It Gets Better” and it’s just a fun, catchy summer song that I personally always have on repeat. And then, of course, our first-ever album ‘Junk Drawer’ is coming out, and we’re just so stoked to have it out in the world after sitting in my personal Dropbox collecting dust.
