Regina, Saskatchewan’s Ryan Hicks found the inspiration for his new single in an unlikely place, overhearing a conversation between a mother and daughter while on a songwriting trip to Palm Springs. The daughter showed her mother a cut on her knee and asked, “Momma, am I going to die?” Her mother’s comforting response was a feeling that Ryan chose to return to in “Am I Going To Die (Hot Windy Palms),” his wistful new single which blends folk and pop influences to capture love, caring, and a sense of wonder at the world and its unknowns.
From The Artist : I have been hard at work for some time on something I am really proud of. I know the last few years have been difficult for many and I certainly had mine. I even stopped writing music, which was one of the things I love. It is not that I didn’t want to, but anxiety and feelings of not being myself anymore made the well run dry. That time away was difficult, but it allowed me to fall back in love with writing songs and created something that I would love to share with you. On a songwriting trip to Palm Springs pre-pandemic, I overheard a conversation between a mother and her daughter. The daughter showed her mother a cut on her knee and asked, “Momma, am I going to die?” Her mother comforted her and I found it to be a powerful moment to witness, writing down the scenario. Later on during the pandemic as I sought to rediscover my identity as a songwriter and as a previously optimistic person, I returned to this scenario. My new single, “Am I Going To Die (Hot Windy Palms),” captures love, caring and a sense of wonder as there is so much in this world we don’t know. It’s about the feeling of being comforted by a loved one and taking care of each other. The pandemic brought on big questions for me, like, “What will it take for me to be happy?” and “What do I want to do with my time on this Earth?” which I never contemplated previously as I was so busy with being a musician, teacher, dad, and husband. I sought out counselling during this time and was lucky to find a great therapist who assisted me in feeling more like myself, more so than I ever had as an adult. This was not ‘becoming a kid again,’ but recognizing those qualities I admired in me as a child, ‘making friends again’ with him and learning how to be his protector to walk forward in life. I do have faith and love in this world. “Am I Going To Die (Hot Windy Palms)” intentionally asks questions in the song, but does not answer them. In the same way a child asks questions and wonders, as an adult I still ask these questions and have a sense of wonder. Although this world can lack the same assurance which being told everything would be okay in childhood provided, “Am I Going To Die (Hot Windy Palms)” is ultimately a celebration of life and love.
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