Singled Out: Ian Steinberg “And Now”

June 20, 2019 Brian Carroll

Ian Steinberg’s voice may be delivered with a gentle touch and comforting nature, but his words burrow deep all the while. The questioning nature of his tune “And Now” off his latest release, Guidance, forces the listener to take the song and look inward a bit more. Interactive in that way. You are not just a passive participant here with his music. His voice drifting at the end of the song in a moment of reflection before the conclusion. What do we do when we lose someone? How do we cope with sadness, with despair? I think that how he addresses and delivers a tough message gives a bit of hope…and we could all use a bit of that these days.

Who: Ian Steinberg

From: Burlington, VT

Song: “And Now”

Latest Record: Guidance

What About It: “And Now...” is probably the most difficult song to talk about on this album. While the entirety of “Guidance” is about depression and the experiences surrounding/causing/improving from that, “And Now…” is the most concrete description of an event on the album. It is about the death of one of my close friends, Eli, to a heroin overdose. The first two verses describe our relationship as it changed over his addiction, while the last two are my experience of his funeral. Each verse ends with the words “And Now…” as if to say “what happens now?” or “And now what do we do?”

Even though the song is tragic in meaning, it is one of my favorites to perform and one I am most proud of writing. I think that’s because it is a way to mourn as well as celebrate him. Although, I’m not sure he would’ve liked the song too much. He was known to say, “Ian is a great guitarist, but his taste in music sucks.” I laugh when I think about that, and realize that this song is really more for me, to help with my processing rather than something to cater to what I thought he would’ve enjoyed. That’s all speculation of course. Either way, it’s a nice way to remember. Here’s to you Eli. – Ian Steinberg