Song Premiere: Ron Pope, “Lick My Wounds”

Last time we heard from Ron Pope, he was touring the country in support of Atlanta, a rootsy solo album that positioned him as one of the south’s newest indie-folk troubadours. Nowadays, the guy is singing a different tune.  “Lick My Wounds,” Pope’s new single, is a Top 40-styled pop anthem aimed at the nightclub club, complete with a gang-vocal chorus and plenty of danceable drum loops. Pope sings the song to a girl who’s “21, but holds her liquor like a freshman,” while synthesizers swoon and cymbals crash in the background. Sure, it’s a left-hand turn from the folksy path he was traveling a few years ago… but the destination looks just as bright.

“I came up with the beginnings of ‘Lick My Wounds’ in Mexico, staring at the ocean, actively trying not to think about writing songs,” Pope tells us. “I couldn’t get it out of my head, and that’s usually a good sign with an unfinished tune. After that trip, I had some chords and a few words, but the mixed meter was kind of throwing me for a loop. When I finally found my way back to Brooklyn, I met with my bassist Kyle McCammon, because he’s got the funk. I thought the song would never get done; we couldn’t think of any words for the chorus that would continue the narrative beyond “And if looks could kill she would stop your heart.” After about two hours Kyle said, “Oh! ‘Not just a girl but a work of art.’ Of course.” And here we are!

“That song became the starting point for my new album. The record follows two people from the first instant they lay eyes on each other through the very last. ‘Lick My Wounds’ is about that first moment when you see a stranger across the room, where it’s all possibility and hope. I’d never written a song about that feeling before, so it was exciting when this one came out well.”