The new single from the Witness Marks radiates with existential sadness. I’m not sure how else to put it. “How it Goes” isn’t sullen or overly desolate; instead, it’s a song that leans into sadness as an unquestioned state of being. Not necessarily bleak, but profoundly painful and, ultimately, unavoidable. It’s a deep-gut purging, but also an acknowledgment that no amount of positive affirmations can erase grief or cast out your worst shame memories.

Led by songwriter and Immersive Atlanta scribe Ethan Fogus, the Witness Marks craft the sort of earnest, black cloud ruminations upon which artists like Bright Eyes and Vic Chestnutt built their careers. Although not the most technically proficient singer, Fogus’ ability to summon raw pathos makes each phrase feel like a profound revelation.

On “How it Goes,” that willingness towards vulnerability is only augmented by the song’s threadbare arrangement. Accompanied by Jenna Shea (Book Club) on upright bass and viola and Matthew Pendrick (Slow Parade) on drums, omnichord, and vocal harmonies, Fogus keeps things bare but deceptively layered, nudging the unspeakable anguish in his voice to the forefront. Even the pace of the song—slow, plodding, elegiac—feels as if it’s draped in deep melancholy. “There’s no stars in the sky, just some old Christmas lights,” Fogus laments in the opening line. It’s a plain, open-ended observation that manages to sound both cosmic and acutely insular.

As the track progresses, the listener is marched down a wounded path through alienation and addiction, death and “the dizzying weight of mistakes.” From the heartbreaking lyrics to its despondent tone, “How it Goes” is steeped in gray light. Underpinning all that hurt, however, are shimmering waves of melody that collide gently against the song’s bulwark of grief. Some might see them as glimmers of hope, but for Fogus, sadness is just part of his make up.

“In 2019, I entered a difficult period,” he confides. “Everything fell out of balance, and I lost touch with many people close to me. Many of those relationships aren’t resolved still. Then the pandemic hit. It was a traumatic few years that were bookended by death. Only recently did I find I was able to pick up the pieces and sing about it. ‘How it Goes’ went through many drafts until I found one that hit somewhere in the sweet spot between Taylor Swift and Tom Waits… It’s a sad song, but the truth is I’m just a bit of a sad person. That’s just how it goes.”

Listen below.

“How it Goes” will be available for streaming on Jan. 10.

More Info
Web: ethanfogus.com
Bandcamp: thewitnessmarks.bandcamp.com>
Instagram: @thewitnessmarks

SoundCloud: @ethanfogus