Lane Simkins' single "Fooled" is heartbreak, personified
New Jersey based singer songwriter Lane Simkins is back with a new single after a creative hiatus, and the story behind “Fooled” is one that will find many listeners relating to the lonelier side of love, a dark place that we’ve all been to yet still manage to rise above. “Fooled” is a solemn, anthemic expression of how it feels to give everything and get nothing back. It’s raw and it’s powerful and it describes a feeling that we all know.
In 2017, Simkins released “Leave,” and the strides of progress that he’s made since last fall feel momentous. “Fooled” is beautifully acoustic and very maturely produced. There’s a layer of growth to this song that absolutely leaves listeners wanting more.
I got to chat with Lane about where he’s been since we last spoke, and what sort of work went into putting “Fooled” together.
What have you been working on since “Leave?” Do you have any more releases planned?
I have not actually released any music since "Leave" due to going into a bit of a season of just figuring out who I am as well as learning to write a lot in that time. After the release of “Fooled” I have a few ideas for what's next. It most likely will look like a few more singles! I’m trying to just put out quality content in small batches.
What did the process for “Fooled” look like?
Currently I’ve been in a cycle of write, edit, demo the song in New Jersey, then head to Nashville to track the final song with a studio there called "Lost Harbor Music."
What’s the story behind the lyrics?
“Fooled” tells a part of my story that comes from a really raw place. I had to learn to be honest with myself while writing this song. I was coming out of a season of my life where I had just gotten out of a relationship and also felt like a lot of relationships (including friendships) around me were a lie. There was a lot that I felt was secured and promised but it just left me very broken in the end. I was just angry and started to build a lot of walls up by saying “No, I won’t let people in. I won’t let love in because it’s just going to hurt more and I’ll keep playing the fool.”
After coming out of that I did learn to let people in and hold people close, but I also learned that it is important to not let yourself be fooled by the lie that a relationship will bring you 100% satisfaction. We're selfish humans, we constantly want more. I believe we need to learn to take care of ourselves first and then learn to love others well before we can allow that relationship to really satisfy.
You can stream “Fooled” everywhere now, and keep up with Lane as he is in the process of booking shows in the near future.