Craig Scheihing
Greg Mendez is a songwriter who understands that life is a matter of light and shade. On his self-titled new album, out May 5, Philly-resident Mendez writes about addiction and heartbreak while throwing in humorous vignettes from his bleakest moments. "Maria," for example, is a shaggy dog story of a crack den arrest that throws in far more physical comedy than you might expect from such a yarn.
Today, Mendez is sharing "Best Behavior" and "Hope You’re Doing Okay," the two closing tracks from the album and a pair of songs that lean closer into the darkness. The tracks detail knotty personal relationships with "Best Behavior" relating to a person that has an unhealthy-sounding hold over him. He sings about someone who can see the truth behind his forced grin and make him act out in petty ways. There's a real sourness to the lyrics that feels even more exposed when dropped onto the super stripped-back arrangement.
"Hoping You're Doing Okay," meanwhile, is another exploration of the lives of others as Mendez opens up about someone whose name he habitually checks the obituary section for, praying he won't see it printed. "I know it’s so unclear," he sings of a drug buddy from the past, "when you’ve begged so long on bruised knees." The starkness of the imagery is offset by a bittersweet melody as he sings about seeing past the tragedy and toward a better future.
Speaking to The FADER via email, Mendez explains more. "'Best Behavior,' written towards the end of the recording process, is the newest song on the record,” he says. "'Hoping You’re Doing Okay' is the oldest, written in 2009. Both deal with complicated, non-romantic love. The video was shot by my good friend, Craig Scheihing, and features two people who are very important to me.”