Annie Bacon & her OSHEN Bares All with the Premiere of “Mist”

A “storm” is coming, and it’s being summoned by Annie Bacon & her OSHEN. On the precipice of releasing her brand new album Storm, the singer-songwriter today reveals her new single “Mist.”

One of the weightier songs on the record, “Mist,” is Bacon at her most vulnerable and forthcoming. The song is a rumination on grief and confronting that emotional baggage. Vocally, it’s one of the more impressive tracks on the album, conjuring up thoughts of Stevie Nicks or Carly Simon. Bacon encourages us to be present in our emotions, even if those emotions don’t feel good. Emotions can’t be just wished away, and “Mist” acknowledges that it’s better to confront them head-on.

Discussing the original vision behind the song, Bacon reveals:

“The original inspiration for ‘Mist’ was a prompt for a songwriting group I’m in, where you have to write a song each month or you get kicked out. It’s intense but also beautiful and supportive and really motivating.

“Every month I get a word, and I chew on it all month and usually write the song ten minutes before it’s due. For this one I felt like I lived with the mist in my mind all month. I kept imagining myself sitting on a rock in the mist and just looking, like, what do I see? What do I feel? What’s it like in here? And then one day, I was driving home from Lake Michigan. It was actually misty, and it hit me like a ton of bricks that I was looking for me in there! I was the one who was lost and I didn’t even realize it.”

Taking us into the challenges within the songwriting process, Bacon elaborates:

“Writing the song was this back and forth with my subconscious. The first verses and chorus are outwardly focused, ‘When you’re the one lost in the mist,’ and then I just abandon exposition and shine this glaring light on myself. You know how intense high beams are in mist or fog? It makes it almost impossible to see anything other than your own hands on the steering wheel. It forced me to see myself right then and there in that moment.

“‘This is what it feels like to miss someone. This is how loneliness hits.’ And as I was writing it, I remembered that old adage, ‘They say when you’re lost you should sit down, let the rescue come to you.’ And in that moment it occurred to me that the sitting down and slowing down (a kind of spiritual surrender), and being present (I’m on a 1,536 day streak with my mindfulness practice), and just being where I was, even if where I was was lost, that was what really saved me.”

Annie Bacon & her OSHEN “Mist” single artwork

“Mist” works well as a first single since it represents the greater themes represented throughout Storm. Through 14 tracks, she bares all, confronting the emotional challenges presented by broken hearts, death, and the loss of her own identity. All the while, she draws on the strengths within folk music as a genre. It’s a style of music that has always been predicated on sincerity and storytelling. That happens to work very well for the type of record Bacon set out to record. It chronicles one of the hardest times she has gone through in her life, which adds to its relatability.

Bacon views Storm as an album for those who may need a pat on the back during a tough time. Our favourite records can make us feel less alone, and that’s how Bacon views this record. Through it all, she has learned that there is an unusual sense of togetherness that presents itself through life’s challenges. You could be of any age, going through any grief (death, divorce, financial troubles, etc.), and how you feel is likely not that dissimilar. While you’re braving the storm, Bacon is happy to help carve your path out of it.

Storm Track Listing:

1. Secret Broken Heart
2. Mist
3. Can’t Remember
4. When Will I Learn
5. California Heat
6. Walk A Little Farther
7. It Might
8. The Island
9. Alone With Grief
10. Dance
11. No Clove Day
12. Love Can Mean
13. It’s Okay
14. Worry

Annie Bacon & her OSHEN ‘Storm’ album artwork