Laura: Music has a way of traveling through one's body like water through cracks in a rock, searching out and filling up that core of someone, touching on emotions one didn't even know how to bring out of themselves. Working these lyrics into the music flowed just like that. Ben sat down with what I wrote, played the song, and we were able to figure out the vocal patterns in half an hour, without changing a thing.

I always wanted to find a way to thank the bands that have inspired me and pushed me to accomplish things like creating "Stormchaser." I remember riding around on the bus when I was fifteen years old, listening to Darkest Hour, and feeling like my eyes were being opened to the world of music. Not radio crap or the stuff my guitar teacher showed me. Real music. Music I could make if I just listened and learned. "Self Portrait" might read like a love song, and it sort of is one, but it was inspired by listening to my favorite bands. And I wrote it as an ode to them (and one band in particular) for continuously challenging me, causing me to realize certain aspects of myself that make up who I am today.

Ben: This song came together pretty slowly in the practice studio, and it was one of the last ones we wrote. I feel like this along with "Beginning with Release" has the most impressive guitar work the band has ever done. Ryan's solo at the end just blows me away. This song always felt like the last track, it was so epic and felt like a finishing track. The chorus reminds me of a Darkest Hour Kris Norris kind of melody, and the harmonies are just so sweet. We didn't really anticipate how well this song came together but I'm pretty sure it is a band favorite. The whole thing just flows great, and turned out being a really nice surprise towards the end of the writing process for "Stormchaser."