The end of a relationship brings questions and memories, as you recall all of the times communication got in the way of growing together, rather than apart.

Paul Nestler captures that feeling on “That Dance We Do,” on top of an ethereal pop rock soundscape whose shimmering layers bring about a sense of wonder.

“I wrote this song after a particularly hard breakup for me. It’s about the times you would be together and didn’t know which person would make the first move – that dance you both do, almost a game of chicken of ‘who’s going first,’” Nestler said. “The song also describes the feeling afterward of questioning whether it was even a good relationship to be a part of; was it really two people ready for a relationship, or was there more work to do?”

Clocking in at just over 3-and-a-half minutes, “That Dance We Do” combines timeless pop rock sensibility with glistening modern pop synth tones (a la The 1975 or The Midnight). The creative process was a slow simmer; one which took place over more than a year, and continued as Nestler entered the studio.

“For almost all of that time, it was just a first verse and some scattered lines as a chorus Only soon before recording did I really sit down and start to hash out where the song would go. Even during the recording process, I changed lines in the second verse,” Nestler said. “I sat on it for song long because I still kept thinking about the person who brought those lines out of me and the situation we were in.”

He continued, “The visual of the first line, ‘Cotton candy skies…’ kept popping up in my mind. It was working title for the longest time, until I settled on a line in the chorus that better encapsulated the spirit of the song.”

Nestler plans to release more music during the first half of 2024, and suggests that “That Dance We Do” could be a sign of things to come.

“As I record, I’m slowly starting to fine tune and home in on where I’m going as an artist,” he noted. “It takes time and there’s quite a long way to go, but this song in particular is something I’m proud to have placed in ‘sonic world’ where I see my music could grow.”