New Music: Far Caspian – Autofiction

The greatest love songs don’t always need to be grand affairs. The simplest words and phrases can embody the complexities that make it such a wonderful thing.

Far Caspian – the project of Irish musician Joel Johnston – does just that on Autofiction, the title track of his upcoming album. It has a strong and clear message at its vividly beating heart, summarising the hardest parts of a relationship into a brief but impactful statement: ‘I’ll be around.’

Autofiction finds Johnston at his most straightforward and personal, writing about mental health burdens, self-forgiveness, and recovery as he expresses his gratefulness for uplifting, supportive partnerships.

The stripped-down feel extends into the arrangement, because while Far Caspian is often a sextet in live settings, here the song often comprises little more than the two vocals that exist as one, and a lilting melody played on an electric guitar. The second, but equal, voice is courtesy of his partner, Megan Lama.

Johnston states that he wrote songs for the album with a simple motto: “I’m enjoying this right now, and therefore it’s good enough.”

September and October will see Far Caspian embarking on a series of live dates in the UK, Europe, and America. The Autofiction LP is released on the 25th of July and can be pre-ordered on Bandcamp, while pre-save options can be found right here.

The song can be heard on Spotify and SoundCloud. Catch up with Far Caspian on Facebook or Instagram for all the latest album and tour news.