Come Clean

With Come Clean, Stewart retroactively lifts the veil on a relationship founded on deceit and manipulation. Her voice, while plaintive and mournful, delivers the confidence of a singer in command of both her craft and her future. The ordinarily twangy edge of Arnez’s Telecaster is shaved a bit smooth for this tune, letting his bubblier delay tones and the sky-high sparkle of Whit Wright’s pedal steel send the track to astral heights. Drummer Gabe Anderson, bassist/producer Alex Bingham, and Wurli player Joe Macphail bring the exact guttural lift and sway that a track about a tumultuous ex-love needs to fully get the emotional dynamics across.

Press

FLOOD Magazine “The album continues the pair’s mission to blend classic country sounds with vintage ’70s pop sensibilities and a sobering sense of honesty…” See full article

In Their Own Words

Sometimes we are the last person to tell ourselves the truth. We ignore our gut, suppress our instincts, and go through the motions of a life that other people have defined for us. We convince ourselves that this is easier and that we will come around in time. We become the person everyone else wants us to be and lose ourselves along the way. Sometimes we do this until that burning feeling in the pit of our bellies becomes too visceral, and we are forced to reconcile ourselves. “Come Clean” is about giving ourselves permission to be ourselves unapologetically. It’s also about acknowledging the struggle in that journey. It’s that hard, unflinching look in the mirror.

In 2017 I was in the process of separating from my then husband. I wrote most of this song during that time. It wasn’t until a year later after the divorce was finalized that I was able to find the words that had been missing from this song. I was carrying a lot of shame and guilt, and once I finally let that go, I was free to rediscover who I was as a person outside of that relationship. I was finally free to love me.

- Steph Stewart

Lyrics

Performance Credits

• Steph Stewart - Vocals, acoustic guitar

• Mario Arnez - Vocals, electric & acoustic guitars

• Alex Bingham - Bass

• Joe MacPhail - Wurlitzer

• Whit Wright - Pedal Steel

• Gabe Anderson - Drums, percussion

Production Credits

Written by Steph Stewart & Mario Arnez

• Produced by Alex Bingham & Blue Cactus

• Recorded at Bedtown Studios

• Engineered by Ryan Johnson & Saman Khoujinian

• Mixed by Ryan Johnson, Silkworm Sound

• Mastered by Greg Abate, Neon Audio

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