Sounding like Grand Theft Bus kicked up their electronics by 200%, the debut track by the Senior Citizen x Tim Walker project, “Tell Me When It’s Safe,” feels fresh but familiar while striking upon some serious 2021 relatability. As an introduction to the upcoming collaborative record by the two artists, the single comes with an accompanying video and has an indie-meets-electronica sound that will make you want to dance (like old times, at a festival — but only when it’s safe).
Set to be released on December 3rd, the album, What Was That, combines the talents of Senior Citizen, the solo electronic project of producer and percussionist Bob Deveau, with that of his fellow Grand Theft Bus bandmate, Tim Walker.
The track, inspired by the harsh judgment experienced by those who are infected with COVID-19, deals with how it feels to be guilty about an outcome yet have no control over the situation. With lines, “I know I am not to blame… but I still feel the pain,” and “Tell me when it’s safe and I will show my face,” the song digs right into something that is relatable to many in this day and age.
Walker explains that the catalyst for writing the track was the experience of his cousin.
“My cousin got Covid,” he says. “She was the closest person to me that actually got it. Her two kids caught it from her. She was out with friends to dinner one night, following all of the proper protocols, and was exposed to it by someone who was not. Despite this, the guilt she and her family felt and the shame from some in their community (both real and perceived) was hard on them.
“The song is not specifically about her, but her situation certainly provided its genesis.”
The track’s accompanying video, however, was not created solely for the song; it is also a submission to the International Olympic Committee for Synchronized Standing Championships. It depicts Deveau and Walker as they discover the championships, train for it and record their video. Though it would seem the judges of the competition weren’t so sure about their submission, we sure thought it was worth the gold.
This release comes 5 years following the debut album from Senior Citizen, The Hawk, which, like What Was That, was also a collaborative and distanced effort, with Deveau recording and programming drums from his childhood home in Port Hawkesbury, Cape Breton, and sending the songs to collaborators their instrumentation and vocals. When Walker and Deveau both found themselves shut in due to the pandemic but experiencing creative surges, they decided to join forces and create in collaboration the second installment from Senior Citizen.