Singled Out: Stepping Sideways' Solace feat. Lee McKinney of Born of Osiris

New Orleans sci-fi inspired hard rock band, Stepping Sideways recently released a new single called "Solace" feat. Lee McKinney of Born of Osiris and to celebrate we asked Khader to tell us about the track.
Here is the story:

When I'm asked about Solace I can't help but automatically think of the rise of this song and all the emotion that ultimately went into it. We had no clue what we were coming up with when we made Solace. Only that we knew we wanted it to be different than the previous songs we had written.

At the time I(Khader) had gone through some radical life changes. On Christmas Day of 2017, I saw the wreck of my relationship with my girlfriend at the time. 10 years and a proposal went down the drain as I found out through a phone call that she didn't want me anymore. A few weeks later And learning that there had been unfaithfulness completely broke me. I very quickly and suddenly had become a shell of myself. Within the same matter of time I lost my job and my family and I became estranged. If I could have explained hell on earth it would have been this time.

Over the course of the next 8 months depression placed its guiding hands on me and took the wheel. I was losing myself completely...I had become to feel entirely alone in every regard...lost in this growing masquerade where purpose and love had become the shadows I so desperately chased to feel whole again yet just couldn't grasp...I felt so alone.

Yet through this whole process my band stayed by my side slowly opening my eyes to the fact that I wasn't truly alone. They simply would not let me go so gently into the night. Joey let me stay with him where he and his wife could help me get back on my feet while allowing Joey and I to continue writing music. Shoulders to break down on were the only comforts keeping me sane...or even alive. The day would go by and I would think to myself how this is the last day, something would be said or a small event would happen...just enough to help me tell myself that today isn't the day...that I can keep going.

It's at this point that 2 things happened. We decided to write a full-length album, and I decided I was going to start trying to change my life.

When we reached 'Solace' we had decided as a group that we were going to make a song that was sonically much more bright than what we had been putting out. Our creative styles combined with my dark mindset had pushed out the most powerful yet darkest style of music yet. Contrast is very much a realistic concept to us. We went into the studio and completely knocked the track out. It was like divine magic had touched our minds with the lightest...almost imperceptible of touches. It was enough. We all crashed through the recording process, ideas just bouncing off each other...growing...becoming something more. When we had finished creating the song we all were so happy...except me.

I hated the feel of the new song and even worse...I had no idea whatsoever to sing to it. Literally NO freaking idea.

Days, weeks and months passed and I pretty much drifted over the song, eliciting to finish as many of the others I could to avoid having to work on it.
Time went by and my depression worsened. I had built myself a prison over the past 10 years. I forgot who I was and the changes I had tried to make simply didn't feel like they were latching on.

Then the one night came that changed everything. I had been trying my best to come up with anything for Solace yet the bright contrast to our otherwise darker album had so far eluded me. The specific night I laid there in my bed, adrift through the blackness of my own thoughts. My pen pad and gun laid next to each other in my lap. I had taken to just looking at them both. Wondering which one I would let hold sway over me. Thinking of how much better everyone would be if I wasn't there to burden them. To hurt them. To ruin everything.
As I looked forward but saw nothing my phone went off. It was my best friend and guitarist Joey. He sent my a line of lyrics that he wanted me to use for this song we had been working on.

It's funny how the smallest thing can awaken the spark that we need. The lyrics Joey sent me were simple.
"The past shall be left behind, the future is yours for the taking the only thing stopping you...is you."
These lines crashed over me. It was so mind numbingly simple yet there it was. The key I had been looking for. The door I could never open had finally unlocked itself within my mind.

In 2 days time with The rest of the bands help I knocked out the lyrics and vocal melodies for the song and titled it Solace for it had become my bastion of hope in the shadow of night. It was my revelation that the only thing stopping me from living my life was simply...me.

Not my ex. Not my job. Not my family. Me.

From there it was a long journey out of drug use, anger, depression and hopelessness.

Solace saved me from a path that would have only ended with my death, and brought me to a place where all I could ever want is life. Stepping Sideways has created a song that saved my life and from there all I could ever want is to impart that same love and compassion to the world.

It showed me that we are all worth more. That sometimes we have to just step back. Lay the static in our head to rest and remember that we can not give up and let the shadows hold us down. We are meant for more.

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

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