“imposter” first made itself known on June 4th, 2021.

after figuring out the chord progression & picking pattern, i vividly remember feeling that we were onto something special. there are moments in songwriting that feel like pure magic & we could definitely sense it in the air when we were working on “imposter.”

in fact, it felt less like traditional songwriting & more like sculpting. we had this huge block of a topic, and we meticulously carved, trimmed, & crafted it until it took shape as the succinct piece you’ll finally get to hear today.

the verses & chorus came almost immediately, lyrically & melodically. we had been listening to a lot of pop music that featured these really rhythmic lyric deliveries & looking back, i feel like that informed & inspired the direction/flow of the song.

the bridge of this song, on the other hand, was a beast & was rewritten multiple times until we got the one that felt just right. if i remember correctly, we actually included the word beast in the final bridge because it was indeed such a BEAST to complete.

at that time in our lives, we’d been having conversations with some friends about this thing called imposter syndrome. if you’re not familiar with it, oxford defines it as “a persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills.”

famous celebrities who deal with imposter syndrome include:
Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins, Tina Fey, Wolfgang Puck, Emma Watson, Michelle Obama, and the list goes on and on and on.

fast forward to July of 2021: “imposter” was the first song we started tracking in the studio, alongside our best friend, producer, & musical guru Lee Miles. i know i’ve used the word magic twice now, but it is seriously the only word i can think of that describes what bringing this song to life was like.

i mean, we had no conversations about the musical direction of the track. we just went in full steam ahead. we were all connected & consciously aware that we were on the same page & firing on all cylinders. i remember Lee was on fire, dialing in tones, nailing piano parts, concocting this gorgeous, dark, vivid, exciting sonic landscape that fit the lyrics like the most striking of Met Gala gowns. for a song that is so intense, it was a joy to create.

cut to present day & we’ve had the opportunity to perform “imposter” multiple times. what is all at once sad & comforting is that we’ve had so many people come up to say that they relate to the message of the song. it’s not just people in the creative field that deal with imposter syndrome; it’s doctors, lawyers, teachers, navy seals, brew masters, teenagers, & retirees, you name it.

it is a human condition to feel inadequate, but at least we can find solace in the fact that we are not alone in this feeling.

we’re so thankful that this song chose us to bring it to life. even though it is a behemoth of an arrangement to sing, it gives us this moment of cathartic release every time we get to perform it and i think “imposter” is bound to be a mainstay of the flagship romance setlist for many years to come.