(antiMusic) Welcome to Singled Out! where we ask artists to tell us the inside story of their latest single. Today James Schoen from Edensong tells us about "The Sixth Day" from their brand new album. We now turn it over to James for the story: To be honest, I'm a bit surprised that this song went over so well. I had initially planned on kicking off our recent album "The Fruit Fallen" with this track, but due to its ten minute duration and controversial subject matter, I opted to instead bury it someplace near the end of the album in an ill-conceived attempt to ruffle fewer feathers in the already sparse progressive rock world. Despite its less-than-showcased album placement, "The Sixth Day" has nevertheless been frequently plucked from the pile and named as a favorite track by Edensong fans and reviewers alike. It happens to be one of my favorite Edensong tunes as well. In fact, I can't remember a single show where we didn't play it! I tend to write "serious" music, songs about the problems I see in the world, and in this way "The Sixth Day" is archetypical Edensong. I'm just glad that despite the potentially divisive content, or perhaps even because of it, "The Sixth Day" has been greeted enthusiastically.
"The Sixth Day" addresses the role of organized religion in society. I wanted to examine the reasons that drive people toward and away from God, the political use and abuse of religion, the fear and intolerance instilled by religious doctrine, and the hatred and holy wars that stem from religious extremism. While I'm sure that religion brings stability, comfort and guidance to the lives of many, I can't ignore that it tears apart the lives of many others.
Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album - right here!