Singled Out: The Disappearing Act's From Tucson to El Paso

The Disappearing Act just released their new album "Proof of Existence" and to celebrate we asked Salim Nourallah to tell us about the song "From Tucson to El Paso". Here is the story:

My brother sent me a message on Facebook that I didn't see until at least two years later. It was sent to an account I never check. It was written before our father died. That was August 9, 2019. At the time of the message, my brother, Faris, had just taken a road trip with our father that seemed fraught with drama. The message was rambling and dark - simultaneously sad and a little bit funny. He kept repeating, "We talked a lot, we both talked a lot... he said he wished we'd been closer but we're not." I kind of laughed to myself and thought, This is a poem or a potential song lyric!

The Disappearing Act was in the middle of recording our fourth full-length record, so I went mining for the right backing track to affix this new idea to. John Dufilho and Bob Blumenfeld had already assembled more than a few tracks to sift through. Our band has a semi-unorthodox way of assembling songs. Bob and John create instrumental tracks that I later try to fit a vocal melody and lyrics to. I'm often stunned at how well this ends up working out because it usually happens after I have an idea for a lyric, like in the case of "From Tucson to El Paso." When I found this particular backing track, I felt it had the perfect vibe for what I was trying to convey - a detached melancholy with the slightest touch of humor. This is ultimately the overall vibe of The Disappearing Act's music.

I excitedly rushed into the studio the next day to track my vocal, and, voilà, we had "From Tucson to El Paso." The song took on a surrealistic, dream-like direction. I sent the track to Faris, and he had absolutely no recollection of sending the message that ultimately led to its creation. We both had a laugh over it.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more here

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