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Lockdown Drill

by Harder Wins

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    High quality CDs professionally duplicated with printed sleeves. Tres chic! Features the original artwork as shown on Bandcamp and other services, plus some extra treats. They come sealed to keep the music inside as fresh as the day it was mastered.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Lockdown Drill via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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      $6.66 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Paying supporters also get unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app.
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  • First Run "Sharing is Caring" Handmade Cassette
    Cassette + Digital Album

    The last two copies are available to a good home at a token price. It does not get any more indie than this -- made with my own hands, duplicated in real-time using my Panasonic boombox. You will get a free copy of the CD, too. Grab it if you love tapes and synthpunk!

    A limited edition, high quality RED cassette duped, handmade, and numbered by me for you! Only 25 copies made. From my house to your house, with love.

    BONUS: Each tape comes with an extra free download code for the digital album, so you can SHARE WITH A FRIEND! (Spread the love!)

    Includes unlimited streaming of Lockdown Drill via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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1.
At night I lay awake, unsure, and wonder how we’ll make love more appealing than subservience and power. I wonder what could’ve ever gone so utterly and deeply wrong our hearts grow even colder by the hour. Haven’t you ever reached out for help? How have you turned so much against yourself? What’s got us caught up in the lie of what’s important in our lives? Tell me, where did we go so wrong? It was: CAPITALISM all along! (All along!) It was: GREED and CORRUPTION, that has caused all this disruption. It was: CAPITALISM all along! Tell me that you never got the feeling that all hope is lost, and no matter what you do you cannot win? Tell me that you’ve ever seen the sky so blue or grass so green as what they show us daily on our screens? Haven’t you ever reached out for help? How have you turned so much against yourself? What’s got us caught up in the lie of What’s important in our lives? Tell me, where did we go so wrong? It was: CAPITALISM all along! (All along!) It was: GREED and CORRUPTION, that has caused all this disruption. It was: CAPITALISM all along!
2.
Problem 03:29
[chorus] It's only a problem if you make it a problem. It's only a sad thing if you make it a bad thing. When we’re stumbling through our So-called lives When we’re making-do With compromise And now we gotta hear these Fucking guys? I don’t think so. [verse 1] If you have a problem With the way I live my life, You can fuck right off and die. No one needs to hear it. If you have a worry ‘Bout how I organize my home, Shift your worries to your own, It’s not your business. If you have a question About my immortal soul, Then I think that you should know: There are stupid questions. I don’t wanna make rules, To control each other’s lives, Let individuals decide how They express their human rights. [chorus] It's only a problem if you make it a problem. It's only a sad thing if you make it a bad thing. When we’re stumbling through our So-called lives When we’re making-do With compromise And now we gotta hear these Fucking guys? I don’t think so. [verse 2] If you have a problem With giving everyone a chance To get their own advance, Then you’re a fucking ass. If you really think that We’re more different than alike, Then I wish that you just might Grow a fucking brain. If you have a question About the rights of all humans To receive a helping hand, Then fuck right off. I don’t wanna make rules, To control each other’s lives, Let individuals decide how They express their human rights. [chorus x 2] It's only a problem if you make it a problem. It's only a sad thing if you make it a bad thing. When we’re stumbling through our So-called lives When we’re making-do With compromise And now we gotta hear these Fucking guys? I don’t think so.
3.
[verse 1] I’m sitting in the classroom at school. It’s not the first time that I’m unsure: There are 20 quiet kindergarteners Waiting for a sign that danger is over. Their eyes search around the room The lights are all off and we’re surrounded by gloom. The teacher presses ear to door She knows that she’s not supposed to be so close. I signed up to help the kids with their art. I signed up to help with finger-paints and tying up smocks. I signed up to help my son feel supported. I signed up to make sure someone tells each kid that they’re smart. But I never would have signed up for this. It’s something that I could have always missed. They didn’t have this back when I was a kid. And this feels like the wrong way to live. [chorus] I sat through a lockdown drill At the elementary school. I was with the kindergarten class When we heard those sirens blast. I sat through a lockdown drill With the students of room one-two-oh. We told ourselves it was just a drill, But in fact we really didn’t know. [verse 2] We turned out the lights. Teacher turned the bolt into the doorframe. We whispered out each kid’s name And they huddled near the cubbies. We pulled down the blinds, And we locked shut the windows. We took down the fishbowl And we put it in the cupboard. I was surprised. I expected much more sobbing. But the kids just sat their nodding, They had done this before. Then the all-clear came. It was apparent to me, As we put the classroom back together, That the terrorists in politics had already won.
4.
Moving On 02:35
[Verse 1] If there were enough time To search and find our way, Then we wouldn’t be where we Find ourselves today. Is there enough time To learn everything we need? Could we understand it better, Everything we’ve ever seen? We’ve had a rough time Making it all work. It’s difficult to figure out Where all the dangers lurk. Is it enough time? It’s all the time we have. We’ve got to get along Any way we can. [chorus] We’re moving on With each step forward. We’re racing down a road and We can’t see what’s round the corner. Moving on! Keep pushing forward. It gets colder through the night, but when The sun comes it gets warmer. Moving on! [verse 2] Is there a right way To start the day? Is there a thing that we could do That would make our dreams come true? Is it the right way Or am I swayed By the things they’re telling me that I need when I don’t need them? Takes a lot of time Working on ourselves. Maybe we should try Changing something else? Is this the right day To start Dis-man-tel-ing All the broken tools of the state? [chorus x2] We’re moving on With each step forward. We’re racing down a road and We can’t see what’s round the corner. Moving on! Keep pushing forward. It gets colder through the night, but when The sun comes it gets warmer. Moving on!
5.
Things don't seem to be as easy as they used to be It's getting harder everyday to think Of better things to say About what's going on around you And what's happening inside you When it's time to change you won't know how It won't matter years from now No matter what you think or do or say Everything turns grey This is it, the darkest hour Isn't it depressing how our Minds create an atmosphere That won't happen here unless we make some new demands To grab the future in our hands You know I wish I could but it's too late For senseless minds that love to hate No matter what you think or do or say Everything turns grey No matter what you think or do or say Everything turns grey
6.
[verse 1] All my friends are the best and all my friends are depressed. If it weren't for all the awful shit around me that I see I'd begin to think depression is a side effect of me. But here I am. And here you are. We haven't really come that far. All I see is burnt-down trees a memory of scenery, of you and me and what we thought we'd be, what we thought we'd be. [chorus] Cuz nothing went the way I thought it would. But everything worked out OK And I would say that things are good. That's what others see, objectively. But I can't always help myself, I see it pessimistically. Time marches on, but why? They say to put childish things aside. But if I gotta go then I hope that I get young before I die. [verse 2] I've become radical. But not like in a fun way. I'm sick of seeing the same bullshit I've been seeing every day. I'm not satisfied, and I know I've never been. You've tried and tried, and so have I, and that's why we're still friends. If it were up to me, we'd make progress every day, hoping CBD or mushroom tea will chase this pain away. But it's not up to me, no psychedelic therapy, can elevate, re-educate, remediate, alleviate all this broke humanity. [chorus] Cuz nothing went the way I thought it would. But everything worked out OK And I would say that things are good. That's what others see, objectively. But I can't always help myself, I see it pessimistically. Time marches on, but why? They say to put childish things aside. But if I gotta go then I hope that I get young before I die. [verse 3] So I'm a thorn, I'm that prickly pear. If you don't want a fight then why'd you come to poke the bear. I'm not alone. I reflect the love that I'm shown, and all that reflects back upon the family we've grown. We are all very strange, and I love us that way. We all feel pain, the world is rough every day. The Sun rises each morn and it sets every night, and in spite of all the bullshit I'm surrounded by: So do I. So do I. [chorus] Cuz nothing went the way I thought it would. But everything worked out OK And I would say that things are good. That's what others see, objectively. But I can't always help myself, I see it pessimistically. Time marches on, but why? They say to put childish things aside. But if I gotta go then I hope that I get young before I die.
7.
True love will find you in the end You'll find out just who was your friend Don’t be sad, I know you will But don’t give up until True love will find you in the end This is a promise with a catch Only if you're looking can it find you ‘Cause true love is searching too But how can it recognize you Unless you step out into the light, the light Don’t be sad, I know you will But don’t give up until True love will find you in the end
8.
[chorus1] I remember last summer When we thought you would recover I remember last summer Like it was yesterday [verse1] We came to see you for father’s day And wheeled you out into the air We gave you blankets and heating pads Looking back it seems a little weird We all gathered on Independence Day Excited that you made it home We ate Mexican food and we talked a lot I took a picture of us all on my phone [chorus2] I remember last summer When we thought you would recover I remember last summer When we made plans for yesterday [verse2] You were a real motherfucker And you could cut with the words that you would say But you had a heart , you were a helper You gave us that, and it remains There was no easy path laid out for us We followed you to each new home We found the good things wherever we were Or we made them on our own [chorus3] I remember last summer When we thought you would recover I remember last summer When we made plans for yesterday [verse3] It doesn’t matter how it ended Every change is a new beginning And everywhere I go I’m bringing A little part of you with me It’s not about being the best Or rich or well-prepared Loving with your heart, and thinking with your head Will mostly get you there [chorus4] I remember last summer When we thought you would recover I remember last summer When we made plans for yesterday
9.
Verse 1: We got caught in the rain on the steps of the American Museum of Stuff. We hadn't seen everything that was in there but we said that we had both seen enough. I bought a miniature Washington obelisk and an even smaller Bill of Rights. The storm clouds had gathered atop of us we couldn't hide out on the steps all night. So we fled down the slick marble staircase, raised a shopping bag to keep off the rain. I fell once at the top and slid halfway down, and by the time I could feel the pain, we were over the jersey barriers, that were placed to keep the bad guys at bay. I couldn't see where we were going, but I trusted you to lead the way. Chorus: We were tourists in the US Capitol Americans in search of our roots We came to find out the story behind us We want to see what we see on the news Verse 2: The rain came down in rushing streams, the cars crawled in the streets. The ground was muddy sucking thing, and the puddles were so deep. We ran to Smithsonian Station and lined up for the slow ride down. The water fell with impatience and we did our best just not to drown. Crowded into the Metro, to get the Blue Line going south. We had to hold hands on the platform to keep each other from slipping out. Trying not to drip on the workers, coming home from a long day away. Pushing paper in government offices And saying what the government say. Chorus: We were tourists in the US Capitol Americans in search of our roots We came to find out the story behind us We want to see what we see on the news Verse 3: When the train came up from the underground, we could see that the sky had cleared. The torrent that caught us up so quick had just as quickly disappeared. We shuffled off the train with the workers pretending we'd put in a full day of service to our country and kinfolk of hard work and effort and pain. As we tripped through Alexandria, looking for the place we called home, we could see rainwater rivers running reminders of the weather we’ve known. It comes so fast when it hits us, we can't outrun the flood for long. Powerful waves that keep making change well after the water's gone. Chorus: We were tourists in the US Capitol Americans in search of our roots We came to find out the story behind us We want to see what we see on the news We were tourists in the US Capitol We Americans in search of our roots We came to find out the story behind us We want to see what we see on the news What we see on the news
10.
Refrain: What would it take to make it all worth it, when it's not worth anything? What would it make, if it turned out to be worth it, would it not change anything? For Goodness' sake, could it ever be worth it, when it cost us everything? What would it take, to make it all worth it, when it's not worth anything? Verse 1: Just down the street there's a thousand people marching, fists raised, outraged, for the cause. But over here are a hundred people shopping, buying things that they don't need and they don't want. Round the corner there's a group of people gathered, to remember a child we mourn. The other day some man drove his car into the crowd leaving people's bodies broken and torn. Bridge: There are many things that I will never know, many things that I won't ever see. But the question that really bothers me: How Reason wins against Insanity? Verse 2: Up in the city hall the mayor meets the cops making deals to cover up their crimes. But over here are people feeding people, every person works to move the line. In the states the legislature's overtaken, sold the highest bidder every time. On the ground people caring for the wounded victims of this country's latest violent crime. Bridge: There are many things that I will never know, many things that I won't ever see. But the question that really bothers me: How Reason wins against Insanity? Verse 3: In the streets the people are still marching still striving for the prize they never got. In the capitol there's no sympathy or help for the workers who are not allowed to stop. On the TVs we watch our nation's helpless leaders held hostage to the madness they've bought. In the homes we hug our little kids and hope they never have to fight what we have fought. Bridge: There are many things that I will never know, many things that I won't ever see. But the question that really bothers me: How Reason wins against Insanity? Refrain: What would it take to make it all worth it, when it's not worth anything? What would it make, if it turned out to be worth it, would it not change anything? For Goodness' sake, could it ever be worth it, when it cost us everything? What would it take, to make it all worth it, when it's not worth anything?
11.
Half My Life 04:21
[verse 1] Half my life’s behind me And I don’t plan on dying young I’ve got one foot in the grave, one foot in my mouth And I’m not sure if this is fun I think I’m always going to want To be something that I’m not I don’t mean to disappoint you But I don’t think it’s working out [instrumental] [bridge] Sometimes it’s like I’m treading water My feet can’t touch any ground Sometimes it’s like I’m getting farther From where I’ll ever be found Sometimes I feel I’m just reacting And never taking the lead Sometimes I tell myself that I’m a failure But that self-talk is all on me [instrumental] [verse 2] I wake up at 4am again And it feels like sleeping in I’ve got thoughts that I can’t stop And I’ve got beefs that I won’t drop I’m never satisfied But I don’t have that much drive And I don’t plan on dying young Half my life’s behind me Half my life’s behind me Half my life’s behind me Half my life’s behind me And I don’t plan on dying young
12.
[verse 1] My love, I’ll be true to you. Like the sun And all the flowers do. I look for you To get me through. You need me, too. I think you do. [verse 2] My love, I know sometimes we clash. But just be sure That I’ll keep coming back. Sometimes I’m not Who I want To be when I miss you. And I get jealous, too. [verse 3] My love, Let’s not ever say Goodbye, when we go away I’ll see you soon. We will resume. We’re notes in The same tune.
13.
[instrumental]

about

Hard days call for harder wins. This is the result of 2+ years in various states of lockdown, poor health, and emotional distress. For me, the silver lining has been a resurgence of musical energy that I had mostly set aside for the past 10 years. I hope you dig it.

Huge thanks to my early listening group: Baron, Nonso, Tristan, Allir, Shannon, Emily, Stolo, Carter, Jimmy Flame. Your enthusiasm and encouragement has helped me along more than you know.

Thanks to Tim, Tom, and Kevin and hug the fam for me.

Love to my family for putting up with me through remix after remix and new band discovery after new band discovery. Bea and Henry, I'm your biggest fan. Thank you to Sarah for being a demanding and devoted creative partner. You make me better in every way.

RIP James K. Rider (1950-2021)

An incomplete, unordered list of bands that influenced this album (thanks to all of you for making the music): Atom and His Package, The Violent Femmes, Apes of the State, HappyHappy, Toilet Rats, Strange Visitors, Fire Ant Season, Agustus Pablo, Toots and the Maytals, Operation Ivy, Pete Seeger, Agent Orange, Daniel Johnston, Wesley Willis, Food For Animals, AJJ, Against Me!, Propaghandi, Woody Guthrie, Chong the Nomad, Local News Legend, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, The Dead Milkmen, Devo, The Minutemen, The Cramps, They Might Be Giants, Busdriver, Redd Kross.

credits

released August 30, 2022

All songs performed and recorded by Shawn Rider.

All songs written and composed by Shawn Rider (except the two noted below).

"True Love Will Find You in the End"
By Daniel Johnston
Copyright BMG Platinum Songs o/b/o Eternal Yip Eye Music

"Everything Turns Grey"
By Mike Palm and James Levesque
Copyright Robert Shannon Fields d/b/a Covina High Music

Sound engineering and mastering by Shawn Rider

Album artwork and design by Shawn Rider

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Harder Wins Seattle, Washington

Synthy pop punk anthems mixed with folksy wailers, serious dubs, and genre-b(l)ending experiments.

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