Over the last few months, we have been intently following the career of Gary Dranow, and immersing ourselves in his songs. We have previously noted his incredible brand of songwriting and epic instrumentation that takes us on a profound journey, and allows us to connect with the artist.
The star just released a single called Mellow Drama, once again created with the support of his collaborator, Jerry Manfredi, and naturally, we couldn’t wait to experience it.
The song opens with a wild electric guitar intro and textured drums, showcasing the instrumental mastery that the creators exude. Gary sings emotively, “You think it’s easy being your friend, do you think it’s easy telling you things you don’t want to hear? I had a rough time with you, it’s not easy being your friend… tell me what you want me to do?”
Mellow Drama delivers a relatable construct, which we learn is “written and sung in the third person from the point of view of Gary’s friends and partners. He reflects what it must have been like for them to be in a relationship with him before he was diagnosed with bipolar 1 with mania.”
He confesses that it is by far his most vulnerable song yet. The star says, “When I was in my late 40s I had just been diagnosed as a bipolar 1 with Mania and for the first time I had reference for why I acted out as I did from early childhood until I started to be managed pharmacologically.”
Gary continues with intimacy, “I blew up three marriages and many relationships due to my over the top personality. It wasn’t until I moved to Park City and a Ski Racing buddy of mine referred me to his psychiatrist, Dr. Kalm (really his name. no joke), that I was put on the right cocktail of meds and I mellowed out tremendously. Before I was medicated, or just took lithium, I was hyper aggressive and often people would be put off by my demeanor. That all changed under the care of Dr. Kalm. Now I’m as calm as a lake without wind, very stable and now a genuinely nice, caring person.”
It’s incredible to hear Gary share his truth with his prose and accompanying words for the media. We are in awe of how the artist has healed himself with the support of a solution that works for him, and we can also feel the catharsis in his sound and emotions on the record. We have added Mellow Drama to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream Gary Dranow‘s wider discography!