Hope is a feeling, not a solution. Hope is a climb, not a summit. Hope is an invitation to observe possibility, a spark of your own curiosity.
Like the times in which it took form, “HOPE” began as a loose assemblage of ideas and actions, lovingly spun into being with care, collaboration, and patience. It began with a jam in Kenny’s room in which Def Sound and Annabelle Maginnis arrived with percussion instruments and lots of curiosity. Created for their mutual aid food initiative called Friensgiving Mixtape, the song was made as an offering. It’s what we brought to the community potluck.
A soul melody set against retro jingles. Fundraiser sample packs. A bag of fresh and age-old percussion instruments. An actual in-person jam session. And a simple rhyme, gaining momentum, inviting its message to take hold. The feeling was in the room when we made the song, and we didn’t dare name it any further for fear it may vanish. It was this ambiguity that gave us the nerve to finish a song called “HOPE,” and there it remains, light enough to float.
lyrics
HOPE
hope, it ain’t the same
hope, it ain’t the same
hope, it ain’t the same
hope, it ain’t the same
without you
(x2)
(hope)
it ain’t the same since you’ve been gone
Living for today - carrying on
(never give up, never give in)
What am I hoping for?
(never give up, never give in)
(hope)
another change, another choice
learning to embrace all of the noise
(never give up, never give in)
what am I hoping for?
(never give up, never give in)
as we, as we float
hope’s kaleidoscope
as we, as we float
hope’s kaleidoscope
...
(as we float)
Vibin from the inside, tryna make it outside
(as we float)
a whole nother vibe, whole nother ride, yeah
credits
from [HOPE],
track released March 5, 2021
produced by zhao
vocals and percussions by def sound + annabelle maginnis
written by zhao, annabelle maginnis and def sound
recorded in kenny’s room
mixed by zhao
mastered by delwin campbell
artwork by ellyn puckett
Artists and friends across Virginia make up the collective 202; here, they work together to create folk-inflected R&B about love and loss. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 28, 2022