One More Left is the second single from the album Lows+Highs, the second full length album from The Nautical Theme.
Story behind the song: Thinking about how One More Left came together for Lows and Highs as this delicate, sweet, and simple arrangement, prominently featuring Tesia playing the mountain dulcimer, it’s funny to remember that the song once had a completely different life as a failed synth-laden indie-pop song. But, this helps to reinforce some of the message and imagery of the song. Despite dark clouds overhead, we can find the strength to try again, at least one more time. Somewhere between the destruction of the six-piece indie band Tesia and Matt fronted and the formation of The Nautical Theme, the duo, along with long-time friend and musical collaborator, Justin Smith, dabbled in synth driven pop. Eventually, that project led Tesia and Matt back to the acoustic, harmony driven music The Nautical Theme has established as their own. The theme of the song is one of picking yourself back up again, finding that you have “one more left”. Matt proposed that, based on the strength of the melodies, the song could be reworked for Lows and Highs. As the album took shape, it became one of the duo’s favorites.

This Tuesday
Fortunately our friend and great supporter of the band, Justin Crim was willing to work with us on providing the drums for the track. The meaning behind the lyrics took a turn for me while we were still working to finalize the song. Originally, the idea behind the first line “well, you came in like a child without the burdens of the world upon your mind” was quite literal, thinking of my children and their innocence of perspective on the world around them. It was about me trying to learn how to see the circumstances of my life with a fresh perspective – to be more like them.
Unfortunately, around the time we were writing this song, my grandmother passed away. My memories tend to be very visual in nature. One of the first times I sang those lyrics after she passed, I saw clearly in my mind’s eye one of her visits to a childhood home of mine when I was still very young. She was playing with me just as if she was a child of my own age – so fun, playful, and carefree.