Townsend's Solitaire Is 'Glad to Be Alive' With New Single

What does happiness mean? It's a loaded concept that has a fluid definition. When everything around you seems to be falling apart, at what point can you say whether you're happy or not? It's a really tough set of questions that begets more questions. The answer can vary during any stage of life or even vary depending on the time of day in some cases.

There is still a stigma that surrounds the topics of grief and suicidal ideation—and even the definition of happiness, but Bobby Odle is tackling them head-on through his work with Townsend's Solitaire, a Seattle-based chamber folk band.

Odle's songs, largely inspired by various events in his life, are raw and honest. Pulling no punches, Townsend's Solitaire often chooses unfiltered storytelling with little use of metaphor. It's a level of honesty that is refreshing to hear.

Colored largely by the passing of his older brother Chris when he was a child, Oldle uses his platform to make sense of the more recent losses of his childhood best friend Tanner, his uncle, and a romantic relationship. Odle also speaks openly about mental health and the journey of working as an artist in Seattle. Channeling his life experiences through music, Odle has woven a series of songs for the band's first full-length album.

Leading up to the debut album, Townsend's Solitaire unveiled the first single, "Glad to Be Alive," which is also the name of the album set to come out this summer. The album was recorded at Sage Arts Studios under the production of Jordan Cunningham and then mastered by Rachel Field at Resonant Mastering. Olde also takes an unfiltered approach to the rest of the musical process, as Glad to Be Alive was produced, engineered, and recorded live to two-inch 16-track tape and mixed to half-inch, two-track tape, which means that all band members were present at all times in studio.

"Glad to Be Alive" sets the album tone, and celebrates being alive while life undergoes a series of curveballs. While some of the lyrics are heavy, the composition is whimsical and optimistic, utilizing guitar, piano, cello, violin, flute, and clarinet.

"Glad to Be Alive" is a song that captures the struggle of keeping it together while everything is falling apart. The recurring theme of "Glad to Be Alive" is resilience. As someone who has attempted to figure out how to navigate life in Seattle after trauma, the lyrics, "I've been holding on to hope... Letting myself love what I love most... Even if I'm not happy, I can still be glad to be alive," resonate. It is a reminder to Odle himself (and all of us) to keep going.

I am looking forward to hearing what the rest of Glad to Be Alive has in store.

"Glad to Be Alive" is now available to stream on all major platforms as of April 19th.

The album of the same name, Glad to Be Alive will be available on Spotify and vinyl on June 28th. Additionally, Townsend's Solitaire will be holding an album release party at Woodland Hall in Seattle with local indie-folk artist Ollella.