john nolan 2018
[Photo by: Keeyahtay Lewis]

Taking Back Sunday’s John Nolan offers hope in the darkest times—watch

John Nolan of Taking Back Sunday is partnering with AP to share his new song, “Over Before It Begins,” and its accompanying video, directed by Anthony Natoli.

The track itself is about a lost connection and how songwriting can sometimes offer a glimpse of hope.

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The song is about people you’ve lost connection with, whether it’s due to addiction or them going down a road you can’t follow,” Nolan says. “It’s about struggling with whether or not you can use songwriting as a way to reach out to them.

“The lyrics took a pessimistic view of that possibility, but Anthony heard a hopeful message there and brought it to the video.”

Natoli’s interpretation was a reflection of some moments he’s dealt with in his own personal life.

“The idea for the video came from really listening to the song and hearing my own reflection of what it meant,” he explains. “I live on Long Island, and like so many other parts of the country, there’s a lot of drug issues and mental illness people deal with.

“I’ve lost friends to both and drug overdose and suicide, so it feels like maybe this song could be a type of finger pointing people in a positive direction if you’re dealing with a rough patch in life. The message to me is don’t be afraid to ask for help, and don’t be afraid to ask your friends and family if they’re OK, even if it means writing a song to reach someone.”

Check out the video below.

“Over Before It Begins” is taken from Nolan’s upcoming full-length Abendigo out Nov. 2. Nolan will be hitting the road next month, and dates can be viewed below. Tickets and album preorders are available here.

Dates:

11/06 – Charlotte, NC @ The Evening Muse
11/07 – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall
11/09 – New York, NY @ Union Pool
11/10 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd
11/11 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott
11/12 – Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy
11/14 – Cleveland, OH @ House Of Blues – Cambridge Room
11/15 – Detroit, MI @ Underground @ Dime
11/16 – Chicago, IL @ SubT Downstairs
11/18 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room
11/19 – Denver, CO @ Hi Dive
11/21 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
11/23 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre Lounge
11/25 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
11/26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Cafe
11/27 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
11/28 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
11/30 – Dallas, TX @ Three Links