Austin-based songwriter Danny Golden is sharing “War Fever,” the latest single from his forthcoming LP, The Big Blue. The track is built around crunching guitars, an organ that builds like an ocean swell, and a hook lifted by vocal harmonies stacked atop each other.
“‘War Fever’ is a meditation on addiction, recovery, and the aftermath of living in survival mode,” Golden explains. “It takes its title from a foundational recovery text’s opening line, ‘War fever ran high.’ Early in my sobriety, I sat in a meeting where those four words were the topic of discussion. Hearing the different images and memories they stirred, and how people saw them as metaphors for their lives in addiction, was a profound moment for me. ‘War fever’ was something they had lived through, and by facing the damage it left behind, they had found freedom, wisdom, and peace. Not just freedom from addiction, but from ego, fear, and the weight of unresolved trauma.
“It was an inspiring moment for my own recovery and one that made me want to write,” he continues. “I could hear the guitar riff and chorus immediately, but for months, I struggled to find the verses. Then, after hitting a wall, I had a chance encounter with a Special Forces veteran who shared his journey with PTSD and his road to healing. That conversation unlocked something and showed me how to finish the song. I am deeply grateful to the people who trusted me with their stories and supported my own recovery. ‘War Fever’ is as much their song as it is mine.”
Check out the playful BTS video for the emotional and meditative cut below. The Big Blue is set to arrive on June 24 and includes previously released cut “Hungry Ghost.”
