After first achieving success at the turn of the century with At the Drive-In, Jim Ward splintered off from his bandmates who would become The Mars Volta to form Sparta, before splintering off again in the mid-2000s to form the stripped-down, country-tinged Sleepercar. Nearly 15 years since releasing Sleepercar’s lone LP, and a year after Sparta’s comeback album, Ward is back with a solo record called Daggers expected out June 11 via Dine Alone Records.
“Paper Fish,” the record’s first single, presents the album as a polished, more pop-informed take on Ward’s career in post-hardcore. “‘Paper Fish’ was the last song I wrote for Daggers,” he shares, referring to the record as his most hopeful record yet in a press statement. “It seemed like it was the final piece of a puzzle I had been working on. It is rare for me to sit down, write, and then sing something almost completely in one take—but that is what happened on this song. It was if the process of making this record allowed me to finally break through and say exactly what I was trying to say. Life is a journey and for me that journey is 100 percent about being a better person. I think about and work towards this everyday. When I die, I want to die the best man I’ve ever been.”
Watch a lyric video for the track below.
