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The Family Grave is a boundary-pushing musical project known for blending introspective storytelling with socially aware themes. Their sound moves fluidly between indie, alternative, and folk-inspired elements, creating music that feels both intimate and expansive. With a focus on honest lyricism and emotional depth, their work often explores the intersection of personal relationships and the wider world around us. Through reflective songwriting and thoughtful composition, The Family Grave crafts songs that speak to vulnerability, connection, and the complexities of modern life. With tracks like “Get Together,” they continue to carve out a distinctive space defined by authenticity, warmth, and quiet resilience.

Blending Love & Politics: “Get Together” blends personal relationships with broader societal themes. What inspired you to explore both emotional intimacy and political tension within the same track?

I remember many years ago hearing the song 'Sweetest Girl' by the band Scritti Politti, ostensibly a song about a relationship but which also contains the line 'When the government falls, I wish I could tell...' and I was struck by the power of locating our personal feelings within a social and political context. That has always stuck with me. It does not have to be a political statement, and in other songs I might drop in a piece of the landscape, a moment of memory, or a specific location—but I like showing that our emotions also exist outside of ourselves.

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Faith Growing Cold: The line “Our faith in each other has been growing cold” feels especially powerful. Was this written from personal experience, or as a reflection of the current social climate?

Both. I have definitely felt the chill wind that so many current political debates seem to inspire. However, I believe we are all a part of humanity and we can be more tolerant of our differences. We should have enough faith in each other to continue communication and not build walls or, heavens forbid, throw punches or drop bombs.

Opening Side Two: As the opening track on Side Two of your vinyl release, what made “Get Together” the right choice for that position?

I still think in terms of vinyl records, having a side A and side B, rather than a CD with its single list of tracks. For 'Old Songs for Kids,' I was clear from the start on what the first three tracks on the album should be and that they would also be the first three singles from the album. However, 'Get Together' felt like a statement, with a driving beat that reflected its lyrical intent as the start of something, and so it felt right as the song to introduce side two.

Turn Dreams Into Tracks

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Looking Back, Moving Forward: Your lyrics suggest a sense of nostalgia while still pushing forward. How do you personally balance reflecting on the past with staying hopeful about the future?

I have a love of history, and I am also a little older than many of the musicians I see who are just starting out. I think that means I value age and experience alongside the imagination and ambition of youth. So it is less about a sense of nostalgia, which I associate more with warm feelings about a mythical past, but rather about learning from the breadth of life and not just living in the present. Understanding how things have changed for the better in the past, or how sadness and depression will inevitably give way to new beginnings and joy, gives me hope that we will find the right path again.

A Call for Change: 5. The repetition of “Time to get over…” feels like both a personal mantra and a collective call to action. What message were you hoping listeners would take from this?

That is an interesting observation, because it wasn't a conscious decision—the repetition just felt right for the opening lines, and I guess it gives the song an emphasis on change right from the start. There are other lyrical instructions later on in the song, which again emphasize a lyric that is very much not intended to dwell on sadness or discomfort but which is asking the listener to reflect and support a positive change.

Shadows of Youth: 6. One of the standout lines references “the shadows of our youth.” What does that phrase mean to you, and how does it connect to the song’s overall message?

That probably links to my previous comment on valuing experience, although it is interesting I use the word 'shadow' which could imply a haunting or darker influence. But I think my intention was to remind us of what we remember being good in the past. As we grow older, we often look back on our youth as a golden time, when we were learning new things and discovering the world or love for the first time. But I believe that we should never stop learning or experiencing new things, so the shadow is one that may be behind us but it is one that we also carry with us, which will inevitably follow us as the sun inevitably rises again.

Emotional Yet Uplifting: The song carries emotional weight but still feels warm and accessible musically. How did you approach creating that balance in the production?

Sometimes when we are mixing a song, I make definite choices—this drum beat feels right, or that guitar line needs to be brought more to the fore. However, as often as not, the song dictates the sound, and in this case, the lyrics are definitely intended to be friendly and offer connection, a virtual hug for the listener, which hopefully makes them feel better, and the accompaniment that felt right probably reflected that spirit.

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Storytelling or Social Commentary: “Get Together” touches on themes like disconnection, mistrust, and misinformation. Do you see your music as a form of social commentary or more as personal storytelling?

Music can be both, at different times or occasionally even in a single song. I think what is absolutely essential, however, is for the song to feel honest and to come from the heart. I feel songwriting is sometimes like a form of prayer, a religious expression and a way to help us, both songwriter and listener, understand both our relationships with other humans but also our relationship with God, or goodness, or a spirit or whatever it is you believe in.

One Message That Matters: If listeners take away just one feeling or idea after hearing “Get Together,” what would you want it to be?

That we are all one. We should look for the people and ways that help us reconnect and reject those who seek to drive us further apart.

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Turn Dreams Into Tracks

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