Judah and the Lion have come roaring back to life this year. (Ok, pun maybe intended). As you’ll probably recall, the latter part of 2017 saw JatL make waves with their infectiously catchy single, “Take it All Back”, which took the band to new heights and arguably created a new genre to go with it (folk hop n’ roll, anyone?). Today, the Nashville three-piece is back with a new single, “Over My Head”, that hopefully precedes an album release sometime in the near future.

The synth-heavy, banjo-driven track, written from the perspective of frontman Judah Akers as he navigated a time that was both hugely successful and mentally tolling, gives us an unencumbered look into the mind of an artist, and reminds us that being successful does not always mean being happy. “I was on the road and homesick. So that feeling’s rushing in, mom’s not doing well, not talking to dad, my sister’s sad,” says Akers. “All these thoughts were happening and I was so overwhelmed with life. I was medicating and distracting myself in different ways so I could get through.”

“I’ve felt like for most of the past 5 years I’ve been drowning in my own thoughts. Hard to sleep. Hard to process, consumed myself with distractions. Hard to do anything. Writing this song helped me process.” Akers shares in a separate statement via his Instagram. The honest song has already made waves among those in the comments who have often found it “hard to communicate [their] feelings”, and feel grateful to the band for putting it into words. Being over one’s head is something all too familiar to many of us, and we’re glad to see Akers has found a healthy outlet to let out. While quite a bit different from anything they’ve put out before, “Over My Head” brings us back to reality in a way, reminding us that many of our favorite artists also struggle with the same things we do.

“Over My Head” is the first release from Judah and the Lion of the year, and follows last year’s “Pep Talk” and “Quarter-Life Crisis”, a two-track single that was the band’s first new music since 2016’s Folk Hop N’ Roll. Likely due for another album soon, the group has already been confirmed for this year’s Hangout Festival, and could be announcing another round of touring shortly. Fans can expect to hear more exciting news about Judah and the Lion in the coming month, as the band’s Instagram seems to strongly suggest. We’re putting our money on February 10th.

Listen to “Over My Head” below.