STUDS #8💪: Breathe 😮‍💨

Inhales and Exhales get the Same Title Utterly Different Song treatment this week!

Hi Wormheads!

Welcome to episode 8 of the STUDS series! It seems people like STUDS, and even better, they want to get it on with STUDS! Wait, that came out wrong. Collaborate—they want to collaborate.

I’m thrilled to have another guest music lover join in on the fun. I’d like to welcome Mark Nash who writes the always personal and musical Joy in the Journey newsletter. Mark is a writer whose articles I always make sure to read. Whether a thoughtful recounting of a gruelingly gorgeous hike he’d taken with his wife (replete with breathtaking photography), a monthly breakdown of his favorite new albums, or his latest Personal Mixtape series (for which I was recently a guest), Mark has a way of connecting with his audience that is exceedingly rare.

But before we get to this week’s STUDS #7, I wanted to share the results from STUDS #7: “Homesick.”

Kristin DeMarr was my guest, and we discussed some great songs and stories about homesickness. Did you get a chance to read it? Did you vote?

The classic southern rock band Atlanta Rhythm Section won the poll fairly comfortably, with 38 percent of the vote. We had 16 votes last time — let’s see if we can get at least 20 this time. We have some great contenders for this one! Don’t be left out of the fun!

Inhale, Exhale

Steve: Hi Mark! Your STUDS pick is especially inspiring to me, as it’s a song title that is also something we all do naturally, but often (if not always) without paying attention. I’ve taken several breathwork workshops and know firsthand the benefits of intentional breathing.

Kind of like the benefits of intentional listening — especially listening to music! Which is what this series is all about!

What led you to choose “Breathe” as your intentional/attentional song?

Mark: Hi Steve, thanks so much for having me! I’ve wanted to be a STUD for a long time, so this is a bit of a dream come true! Ever since you launched the series and began inviting guests to join you, I’ve been noodling about a song title that would make for a good installment. I hadn’t been able to come up with anything until a few weeks ago (mid-June) when I was listening to my “All-Time Favorite Songs” playlist. As I was enjoying my favorite track of the five I’ll be presenting, I thought to myself, “this would be perfect for a STUDS episode!” I already knew of at least two other songs titled “Breathe” and was sure there had to be more.

STUD #1: The Cure

Mark: My first “Breathe” is by The Cure, which was one of the two tracks on the B-Side of the 12-inch single of “Just Like Heaven” released in 1987. I purchased this in the imports section of a record store in Toronto in the summer of 1988. By that point, The Cure had been my favorite band for half a decade, and I was excited to find several of their releases, including an original pressing of their debut, Three Imaginary Boys. I loved both of the B-Side tracks (the other was “A Chain of Flowers”). I kinda felt like I had a little secret piece of music that nobody else had access to, and I spent hours listening to those two tracks back-to-back. As far as I’m aware, neither of those tracks was readily available outside of the 12-inch until Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities was released in 2004.

Steve: That’s so awesome that we have The Cure as the inspiration for STUDS two episodes in a row! I don’t think I’ve ever heard “Breathe” before. I have Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me and most of their albums, but not their Join the Dots B-Sides collection. It’s interesting; it’s more or less an instrumental, with layers of keyboards and what sounds like a sousaphone or tuba creating a deep pulsing throughout. It’s super hypnotic.

The lyrics are essentially, “Breathe/Breathe on me/Be like you used to be/Breathe on me/Move in me.” It feels a bit like a floating mantra, the way it blends into the bed of instrumentation. Is it about the breath? I can see that, but Robert Smith is rarely literal. People online say it’s about wanting things to be the way they used to be and knowing they never can be. A common theme in many songs by The Cure.

What is it that you love about this track? Is the song also a reminder to pay attention to the breath?

Mark: There are a couple of things I really love about this track. First is the instrumentation and how the song's structure stands somewhat apart from the rest of the Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me sessions. There are two tracks on the album — “One More Time” and “A Thousand Hours (one of my favorites from the album) — that share a similar musical DNA. All the songs are mostly instrumental, with extended intros and outros and limited vocals (with the singing consuming only 25-30% of each track’s running time). While that may not have been a massive shift from some of the band’s earlier material, it did stand out on the Kiss Me… sessions, which tended towards a poppier and happier sound. Second, the hopeless romantic in me connected deeply with the lyrics as I felt they reflected the emotional and physical toll of a lost love. The lyrics spoke to both the physical closeness (the proximity that provides the opportunity to breathe on someone) and the emotional connection in which someone can metaphorically move within you. There’s also a sense of physical longing inherent in Smith’s wailing vocals on this track that pierced my heart.

STUD #2: Pink Floyd

Mark: My next selection has some musical similarities to The Cure. It starts with a long instrumental intro, which consumes the first half of an already short song. It’s also the first of two parenthetical song titles in my chosen tracks — hopefully this isn’t cheating! (Ed: The judges decided to allow it this time.)

The track is Pink Floyd’s “Breathe (In The Air)” from their classic Dark Side of the Moon. Unlike The Cure’s track, which can easily be listened to on its own or as part of a random playlist, this track is certainly best consumed as part of the entire musical meal that is DSOTM, particularly given how it’s integrated with the tracks that bookend it on the album.

Steve: “Breathe (In the Air)” is a classic. It’s not officially the first song on DSOTM (that would go to “Speak to Me”), but it’s always felt like where it all begins. It is hard to separate it from the rest (especially “On the Run,” which it transitions to seamlessly), but as you say, it works on its own, too. It’s got such a languid groove that it boggles my mind that it’s under 3 minutes long! The keys and the pedal steel guitar are standouts for me, but as a percussionist, I always marvel at Nick Mason’s tasteful drums here.

Okay, I just took a deep breath. What song am I about to hear for #3?

STUD #3: The Prodigy

Mark: Well, it’s just as well you took a deep breath, as you’re gonna need it for all the wild dance-floor gyrations this next track demands of its listeners. I’m going with the second single released from The Prodigy’s third studio album, 1997’s The Fat of the Land. While I was always slightly more partial to “Firestarter,” the lead single and the band’s first number one, “Breathe” isn’t far behind. This album arrived at a time in my life when, while not exactly “raving,” I was certainly energetically throwing myself around a dance floor to the beats of electronic, jungle, and drum-and-bass music. This was the first Prodigy album featuring Keith Flint’s vocals, and he brings a fierce, energetic, and rather menacing presence to the music. Clearly, both fans and critics found this appealing, as the album was a massive success, producing three top-ten hits in the UK, including two consecutive number ones.

The album wasn’t without well-deserved controversy given the title of the third single, “Smack My B**ch Up”, and the violence depicted in the accompanying video. Indeed, this track is one of the reasons I no longer listen to the album. But also, perhaps unsurprisingly, my musical tastes have shifted significantly since the late 90s and now tend towards mellower, more laid-back sounds. But this song and “Firestarter” will always take me back to sweaty nights on the summer dancefloors of 1997.

Steve: I will admit that I never got into The Prodigy. I didn’t have a problem with them, but at the time, their blend of techno/electro/punk wasn’t my thing. Also, the mid-90s were my farm-boy fallow years, so I missed a lot of alternative music back then.

I came to appreciate The Prodigy years later, but the few songs I’ve heard have never risen above appreciation. That said, “Breathe” was one I did like and still do. It for sure is a standout track.

Hearing it again now, I’m struggling to connect with its overstimulating and aggro energy, as it clashes with my already anxious mind. It’s also not the most conducive music for going to sleep. Which is what I was doing when I relistened to it for evaluation. Probably best to save it for midday.

I am trying to imagine you as a wannabe raver tearing up the dance floor! Ah, there you are! Arms, legs, and hips flailing around in free-spirited unison!

What’s next?

STUD #4: Midge Ure

Mark: Yeah, anybody who knows the current mild-mannered Mark would struggle to recognize the guy bouncing around the dance floor 30 years ago! Maybe that’s where my knee problems began 🤔!!

We’re starting to get into songs that I didn’t know coming into this STUDS installment. At least I thought I didn’t know them — turns out that’s not actually the case with my final pick. As I began Googling and Spotifying around looking for other “Breathe” songs, I came across a familiar name: Midge Ure.

I can’t say I’ve ever been a big fan, but I certainly enjoyed the Ultravox songs “Vienna” and “Dancing With Tears in My Eyes” released during his time fronting the band after John Foxx’s departure. But his solo work has never interested me, and his 1996 single “Breathe”, from the album of the same name, never popped up on my musical radar. Quite frankly, I don’t consider it a great loss, as listening to it now is somewhat cringe-inducing. I find the lyrics simplistic and cliché, and the singing, particularly during the chorus, is just too whiny for my taste. (Tell us how you really feel, Mark!) (Ed: parenthetical comment not written by Ed.)

I wouldn’t be surprised if there are some fans of Mr. Ure among your readership, so it’ll be interesting to see if he gets any votes.

Steve: Not only are some of my readers (my wormheads as I like to call them) fans of Mr. Ure, but Mr. Goldberg, aka Mr. Earworm and Song Loops, aka Mr. STUDS, is a big fan, and is not going to admit in public that he did not know that Midge has released 9 solo albums, including the just-released A Man of Two Worlds. He is only familiar with his first solo release, The Gift, which came out in 1985, when Ultravox was still a vital band. Not that he remembers a single thing about that album.

And he is definitely not going to tell the story of going to see Midge Ure perform at a small club in his hometown of Oakland, California, in 2020, a couple of months before the COVID lockdown. It was supposed to be Midge on acoustic guitar and a cellist, but the cellist got sick, which was a bummer. Midge seemed like he didn’t want to be there and played for just over 30 minutes. According to Setlist.fm, it was a “songs, questions, and answers” tour, but Steve only remembers Midge taking a lot of time between songs to talk. Maybe some audience members submitted questions beforehand? Steve was not offered that option. According to the brief setlist, “Breathe” was the 4th song Midge played.

(Steve decides he’s overplayed referring to himself in 3rd person)

Listening to the song now, I have no memory of having heard it before. I don’t mind it. It’s a bit corny, but pleasant enough. Again, 1996 was the middle of my musical dead zone, so it makes sense why it wasn’t familiar.

I just looked at the lyrics. Yeah. Ure is not going to be confused with Dylan or Cohen.

I do love the first three Ultravox albums that Midge sang on: Vienna, Rage of Eden, and Quartet. Even Lament has some good songs. But then Midge Ure and Bob Geldof got together to write and produce “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” for the superstar-laden Band Aid in 1984, and it was all downhill from there.

That snark was uncalled for. It’s true, I don’t particularly like the song, but I do recognize and honor the accomplishments of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”, which raised millions for charities connected to the famine in Ethiopia (the idea was supposedly sparked by Boy George). And the song sparked other iconic global charity music initiatives such as USA For Africa, Artists United Against Apartheid, and many more. Though I’ll always prefer the Ronnie James Dio-led “Stars,” when it comes to charity songs.

Note to self: listen to Midge’s A Man of Two Worlds (apparently it’s a double album!) and give my opinion in a future post. (ed: I squeezed in a quick listen through one of the discs: it’s really good!)

What is our 5th song, Mark?

STUD #5: Anna Nalick

Mark: My fifth song comes courtesy of my wife Tina. When I told her I was looking for songs with the title “Breathe”, she said, “Oh, you have to use that song from the reels!” I didn’t think I had a clue what she was talking about, but after she spent a few minutes on Instagram finding the song, then played it for me, I recognized it immediately.

My second song to include a parenthetical, “Breathe (2 AM)”, by Anna Nalick is her debut single, drawn from her 2005 album Wreck of the Day. The single peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the album spent 27 weeks on the US album chart, peaking at number 20. With a sound similar to that of artists like Shawn Colvin, Sara Bareilles, and Vanessa Carlton, I might’ve thought about purchasing this album back in the day, but I never came across it.

The song itself is gorgeous, and I can see why it’s so often used as background music on IG reels. The individual storylines/themes of each verse are compelling, and the chorus feels like an emotional balm. There’s some excellent songwriting here, particularly on the pre-chorus (“life’s like an hourglass glued to the table”) and in the lyrical bridge between the second chorus and the third verse: “There’s a light at each end of this tunnel, you shout / ‘Cause you’re just as far in as you’ll ever be out / And these mistakes you’ve made, you’ll just make them again / If you only try turning around”. The entreaty to keep going, to push through difficult times and emerge from a challenging or dark period, is a timeless reminder of the power of persistence.

Steve: You can probably guess that I have never heard of Anna Nalick or her song “Breathe (2 AM).” I was surprised that she was new to you as well, as I had imagined she was a secret favorite you were sharing with us all. I do love her album title, Wreck of the Day. It could be a great Substack newsletter title as well.

It has a strong air of familiarity, hitting all the right notes. Maybe to a formula, but it all works. For some reason, I can picture a hard-rock cover of this (like prime Guns N’ Roses), where it builds and builds, and there’s a scorching guitar solo.

Apparently, this song was featured on the TV series Grey’s Anatomy, as many of the comments on the video refer to that.

It does really, really remind me of a specific song, though, and I’m hoping someone will tell me what it is in the comments.

STUD #6: Alexi Murdoch

Steve: When Mark came to me with his song title choice, he also had all his candidates decided on as well. I was a bit surprised that Alexi Murdoch wasn’t one of the 5 artists. I didn’t say anything at first, as I didn’t want to step on Mark’s picks. But when it became clear that neither of us was enamored with Midge Ure’s “Breathe,” I brought it up.

Mark wasn’t familiar with the song and agreed that we should include it in our list and keep Midge Ure in our discussion, but take him out of the poll.

I am so happy we are including Alexi, as his debut album, 2006’s Time Without Consequence, is one of my all-time favorites.

The comparisons to Nick Drake are apt, but for me, it’s the ultimate compliment. I think Murdoch’s songs have a lot more going on sonically. The percussion, especially, is worth paying attention to on headphones, as it’s stellar.

They both share a quiet, haunting, hypnotic energy, but Alexi’s songs feel imbued with wisdom and compassion, while Drake’s are more vulnerable and fragile.

As an anxiety sufferer, I often find myself holding my breath. Or breathing shallowly. I’ve taken several pranayama workshops and have seen firsthand the power of attentive, controlled breathing on energy, mood, and health. Despite this direct evidence, I constantly forget to breathe. So when Alexi sings: “So don’t forget to breathe/Don’t forget to breathe/We’re all lifers here/No eleventh hour reprieve/So don’t forget to breathe/Keep your head above water/But don’t forget to breathe,” it sticks. At least for a little while.

Mark, have you practiced any breathwork at any point in your life? And what was your impression of Alexi Murdoch’s “Breathe”?

Mark: Steve, I’m so glad you invited Alexi Murdoch to this STUDS party! He’s not an artist I’d ever heard of before, and I’ve really enjoyed listening to his debut album. While I do hear shades of Nick Drake, another Nick came to mind as I listened to this album. Both the acoustic finger-picking style and vocals of Alexi Murdoch are, at times, reminiscent of Nick Mulvey for me, particularly his wonderful 2014 debut First Mind.

I really wasn’t happy with my Midge Ure pick, and Murdoch feels like a far more worthy addition to this installment. It’s probably my second favorite of the five songs (nothing’s gonna surpass my Cure pick! Sorry not sorry 😆).

In terms of my experience with breathwork, I do have a daily meditation practice in which I use my breath as my object of focus. When I realize that my thoughts have run away from me (which nowadays happens a lot less than when I first started meditating regularly 15 years ago), it’s a relief to come back to the breath and feel the brain quiet down. I’ve also done some pranayama workshops over the years and have utilized breathwork as part of my (now woefully irregular) yoga practice.

Perhaps my most profound experiences with breathwork have come through the handful of shamanic breathwork sessions in which I’ve participated. These facilitated sessions combine circular breathing with the pulsing sounds of tribal drumming to, among other things, achieve heightened states of consciousness and unlock deeply held trauma. Guided by trusted facilitators and supported by a group of like-minded seekers, I’ve had a handful of deeply powerful experiences in these workshops. While this practice isn’t for everyone, and shouldn’t be taken lightly, my experiences have certainly been revelatory and life-altering.

Steve: That sounds amazing! I would love to hear more about the shamanic breathwork at some point. Maybe you can write about it as part of Joy in the Journey!

I am not familiar with Nick Mulvey, so I’ll definitely be looking him up! Thanks for the tip!

Steve: Excellent STUDS song choice, Mark! I have a feeling folks might lean toward The Cure or Pink Floyd, but I’ve been wrong before on these polls. We decided to leave Midge Ure off the list, but if you want to vote for him, let us know in the comments!

Mark: Thanks so much for having me on STUDS, Steve. It’s been a pleasure! In the context of discussing “Breathe” songs, our dialogue on the importance of breath has really struck a chord with me. Perhaps it’s time to re-engage with a more regular breathwork practice.

Steve: If any readers are interested in breathwork or the science of breathing, a book I love, which I return to regularly (and highly recommend), is Breath, by James Nestor.

• Don’t forget to vote in the poll!!!!!

• Do you have a favorite of our 6 “Breathe” songs? Which one(s) stood out to you and why?

• Did we overlook a “Breathe” track that you think should have made the list?

• Do you have any breathwork practices?

• Would you like to be a guest on STUDS? Let me know in the comments, in a message, or email me at earworm@substack.com

• Did you miss a STUDS episode? Click here to check out episodes 1-7.

• The next STUDS episode will feature Brad Kyle of Front Row and Backstage/Tune Tag fame.