Artwork credit: Meghan Fest

“I used to be a zombie
Strolling ‘round in a haze
My skin a greying pallor
An unrelenting thirst for brains,
But now I’ve seen revival
Like Lazarus come back to life
Yet still I feel uneasy
As I move forward into the light.”

Brandon Padier & Black Gold, “Still Learning”

Ever feel a sense of renewal so strong, that it’s like you’ve come back from the dead?

If so, you might dig “Still Learning,” the latest single from San Antonio-based Americana outfit Brandon Padier & Black Gold. Inspired by the Biblical figure Lazarus, Padier created a narrator “as a person once dead, now coming back to life.” Our protagonist illustrates the process of learning to live again — this time, as a new person with a new outlook.

Sounds like the perfect soundtrack for those getting an early jump on the “New Year, New Me” hype!

“Still Learning” is Padier’s first release alongside Black Gold, and is from the forthcoming album, Kintsugi (Release date: Dec. 15, 2023). It was recorded and mixed at Studio E (San Antonio, TX) by Brant Sankey, and mastered at Civilian Audio (San Antonio, TX) by Chris Cline.