Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

One Track Mind features a Washtenaw County-associated artist discussing a single song.

Standout Track: No. 5, “A Fiction for Today,” from Jonathan Edwards, an indie-folk singer-songwriter and guitarist from Ypsilanti. His latest release, The Sparrow EP, examines the emotional struggles people experience internally—vulnerability, desperation, fragility, and helplessness—as they live in a rapidly changing society.

On “A Fiction for Today,” Edwards sings about seeking refuge from society’s growing political and social tensions and finding the strength to persevere. While the track explores living in an oppressive world, it also functions as a contemplative and hopeful sendoff for the EP.

“Lyrically, this is one of my favorites from the EP,” Edwards wrote. “The song is dedicated to those who are up against the wall and struggling in a world that is so heavily positioned against them. … The cards are stacked against so many, and disturbing decisions are being made every day to push people further and further down. I hope this song is taken as a letter of optimism and compassion for those who have little say in the circumstances they may find themselves in.”

Musical Motivation: “A Fiction for Today” features dreamy and hopeful instrumentation, especially due to the emotive quality of Edwards’ vocals, guitars, and organ. “The arrangement is intentionally very sparse to keep the acoustic guitar and voice front and center,” he wrote. “I only added a bit of electric guitar and a Lowrey organ to offer up a countermelody and a bit of depth against the main vocal line. Keeping the words up front felt especially important for this song and its message.”

Edwards wrote the song after the other four tracks had been recorded for The Sparrow EP and took lyrical inspiration from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ album Ghosteen. “The cinematic whimsy of his lyric writing was inspiring to me, and I loved the storybook-like imagery he was exploring against the difficult subject matter of that album,” he wrote. “I found myself writing with a similar sense of storybook imagery, especially in the songs ‘Sparrow’ and ‘A Fiction for Today.’”

Band of Brothers: Edwards collaborated with his older brother Jeremy Edwards on The Sparrow EP, which features Jeremy playing drums on two songs, “Sparrow” and “Violent Eyes,” as well as mixing and mastering the EP.

“[He] has always played an essential role in helping me fully realize my recorded music,” Edwards wrote. “Additionally, I like to track my vocals with him versus on my own to make that process run more smoothly. I also thought it was important to record the guitar and vocal performances together for a few tracks to capture a [rawer] and [looser] performance. … Jeremy invested a ton of time into this project, and the EP would not sound anywhere close to the way it does without his hand through the recording and post-production stages.”