Pillbook knows about Texas trippin.’ Not necessarily the road kind.
Perhaps the title of his new song “Story You’ve Heard B4” suggests you’ve already consumed every song there is about life-altering spiritual awakenings, but the Boston purveyor of grunge-pop is sharing his own anecdote regardless.
For Pillbook (also known as PLBK, and also known as Aaron Garcia) the burnout came first. Then came a refreshing getaway and the “trip” within the getaway. Garcia closes that chapter of his life with “Story You’ve Heard B4,” which he released over Memorial Day Weekend (May 28).
“At the time I was working for a local music organization and was engineering a ton of music for other people,” he tells Vanyaland. “On paper, it was a dream job. But after some time, it turned sour. I was feeling overworked. I ignored my mental health and shut out just about everyone from my life. I prioritized other people’s creative endeavors except my own.”
Fast forward to 2021, when Garcia holed up at a Texas ranch with a producer friend for a few days to break free from the monotony of lockdown. The day before he returned home, the two musicians met a “very nice, tie dye, plant-loving, wavy girl.” You get the idea.
Before the plane took off for Boston, Garcia’s eyes were opened to a new reality: One that could steer his life in a more fulfilling new direction. “After the trip, I realized I had to take control of my life,” he concludes. “I moved back home to my mom’s place and began to plan out this new life. I began to work on new music, made new friends, and continued my education.”
Some of that new music was “Story You’ve Heard B4,” a song that announces Garcia’s major life changes with soft pop subtlety. “I don’t know who I’ll be tomorrow / I guess I’ll start the story today,” Garcia muses, right before his vocals shift to an emotionally raw voice memo.
When the gentle tune trails off, Garcia’s drowsy daydream ends — and his story leaps from the radio and into real life.
Hear Garcia’s spin on every “Story You’ve Heard B4” below.