"Changing," alt-rock band Mint Green's latest single and a 2020 617 Sessions track, is a song about relationships and personal growth, and it's in my rotation this week.
Conceived in a local guitar shop while the group was on tour in the UK in July 2019, the song pairs fast-paced guitars and intricate drumming with conversational lyrics that feel personal to both the singer and the listener.
"In the case of 'Changing,' I was hypothetically talking to an ex, or just anyone, that had their doubts about me or had given up on me," Ronnica, Mint Green lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter, tells me. "The chorus of 'Changing' is asking for them to give me another chance and to work with me to make things better. It's also questioning their ability to see the work I've already put in and the changes I've already undergone."
The song wasn't completed until October of that year when Ronnica sat down and finished the rest of the verses and pre-chorus. She admits to often using the phrases "I want" or "I want to" as recurring themes in her songs because it feels like a natural way to communicate human desire. The lyrics are intimate and expressive, longing both for the blissful beginnings of a relationship, and for understanding and reconciliation after the fallout.
"It's like a push and pull between what is being told to me by the other person and what I believe to be true about myself," Ronnica says. "So they've told me that 'I don't know anything,' and 'I break everything,' and to that, I say, 'But I am not the only one, it doesn't even matter much.' And I further plead with them to be honest with me and also believe that change is possible and it is happening."
Mint Green initially recorded a demo of "Changing" in April 2020. When they heard about the opportunity to record for 617 Sessions, a music program that provides free studio time to local artists, they took it.
"We recorded everything in one day," Ronnica tells me. "Daniel Huang, Tiffany Sammy, and I (rhythm section) tracked at the same exact time, as though we were playing it live, and then Brandon Shaw came in to add the guitars over the top. It is both Brandon and Tiffany's first song with Mint Green, so 'Changing' is definitely special to us for that reason."
This isn't the last we'll hear of Mint Green this year: they're planning to release two Phoebe Bridgers covers on Bandcamp on November 6 and are writing their first LP. With no set release date yet, I'll definitely be keeping my ears peeled.
