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Yavin reminisces about past loves and lyrics on revamped single ‘Now & Then.’

Photo Credit: Kaio Cesar

Before Yavin could fully launch his West Coast career, he had to face the (older) music.

When the Massachusetts-raised pop maven unpacked in his new Los Angeles home earlier this year, he discovered a sliver of the past lingering on his mind: “Now & Then.,” his debut single. The 2016 release is an honest first effort, crafted long before Yavin finely honed his chops for camp and established a bittersweet brand of elastic pop. Amidst the move, nostalgia for his first chapter enticed Yavin to find “Now & Then.” in his sea of old Soundcloud uploads.

The scroll down memory lane made him cringe at first. Then it yanked him back into a pressure-free creative headspace. Today (June 30), Yavin returns with a revamped version of “Now & Then.,” complete with tweaked lyrics, fresh vocals, and modern production that bobs to the beat of Yavin’s inner monologue.  

“Back then, music was just a hobby that I used for expression, and despite the fact that I didn’t take it all that seriously, I’ve been kind of longing for the innocence and fun of making music for the hell of it that I had at that time,” Yavin explains. “Despite the fact that the old version can make me cringe a bit, I decided to take something that I’ve always held near and dear to my heart and revive it in a way that feels more true to the identity that I possess now.”

A chorus that once admitted fleeting thoughts about an ex now serves as an earnest self-check in, as Yavin peers into his past. “I think about you now and then / Not like I do it often / A cameo inside my head / I guess I wonder how you’ve been,” he sings, letting go of the “cringe” and embracing his fledgling career.

“Honestly, my method of overcoming those fears is to just fucking lean in,” Yavin elaborates. “The ‘cringe factor’ is such a subjective concept, and I’d rather commit to something that I like than succumb to other people’s perceived opinions. Ultimately, I wanted to do this not only for the joy of recreating something from my past, but to set the precedent that all old work holds something special. It’s a sneak peek into the artist you would become, and can always be cultivated into something amazing if you have the conviction to do so.”

It’s a perspective we could all afford to remember now and then. Tune in below.