Track By Track: Rocky Loves Emily, "Secrets Don't Make Friends"

Rocky Loves Emily vocalist Brandon James Ellis takes us through the band's new album for Tooth & Nail Records, Secrets Don't Make Friends.

“I Don't Like You”
I don't believe in revenge, but I believe in music. This track is my personal anthem inspired by a break-up with a girl that wasn't worth anybody's time. If you haven't guessed yet… I don't like her anymore. Sonically, I dig this track because it has an old rock 'n' roll vibe.

“Drivin' Me Crazy”
The ongoing joke in the van is that this song is about an “older woman” commonly known as a cougar. Not the typical mid-life cougar, but we are talking at least 60-70 years old. Yeah. It's hot. You'll notice a few references in the song to some classic rock anthems. We hope these references make the song fun to listen to and sing along with!

“Secrets Dont Make Friends”
Quite frankly, a girl I dated cheated on me, so I broke up with her. She then made several petty attempts at revenge. I wrote this song to honor our wonderfully healthy relationship. (sarcasm) As the name suggests, after this incident, I no longer have any secrets. The track has a really cool 50s flow to it. It's one of my favorites.

“Oil and Water”
In pop culture the concept of being single is almost a taboo. This song is about embracing singlehood and understanding that some people are just not meant for each other, much like “oil and water.”

“Be Mine Tonight”
This is a flashback to my old high school days at Faith Christian School. It was a time of my life that i really didn't have a care in the world other than soccer on the weekends (hence the football reference) and trying my darndest to get girls to notice me (which other than my mom, never happened.)

“Guilty, Guilty”
This track's lyrics were actually completely written by our guitarist Sean Kick. I don't really know exactly what inspired it, but I do know that it was based on a relationship he once had. I really dig the vibe on this track.

“Dream”
For a few reasons, last summer I was pretty depressed. I found myself sleeping as much as I could. One day I realized i had gotten so depressed that the only time I was even remotely happy was in my dreams. Since this song was recorded I've been much healthier and even got a tattoo of the song title “Dream” to remind myself of a time of my life that I never want to revisit.

“Nightmare”
Ever feel inadequate around a girl's dad? That's pretty much the inspiration behind this song, doubled with not giving a crap.

“The One You're Searching For”
I guess I'd like to think that there is someone out there that I might end up with one day. I hope that in the end, I'm the one she is searching for. This song has a cool Jackson 5 feel to it. I dig it.

“It's Not Me, It's You”
Do you know anyone in your life that is a complete moron? This song is about that person. It's not you, it's them.

“The Root Of All Evil”
Going to private schools my whole life, i grew up around a lot of people that were very well off. Which is fine. However, my family was not well off. While some people were modest with their monetary status, some were obsessed with the idea of “being rich.” The Bible says that “The love of money is the root of all evil.”  That's exactly what this song is about. alt