Behind The Tracks: Wizard Tattoo - Wizard Knife Fight (At a Bar) (Single) (2022)

The EP is about a person that comes to believe they're a wizard shortly after getting a tattoo of a wizard. They hear a voice in their head tempting them with power and knowledge until it eventually consumes them. The first track, "Wizard Tattoo," is the introduction, "A Wizard's Lie" is the temptation, and by the time we get to "Wizard Knife Fight," the protagonist has become a wizard or at least thinks they are. The song is about their first outing into the world, and when I wrote it, I thought it'd be comical if they encounter another person in the same predicament but older. Are they two powerful beings fighting an epic magical battle or just two crazy drunks duking it out in a bar? I don't know, but it's weird, and I like it.

Musically, the beginning riff is straight ZZ Top inspired. When I think of bar fights, I hear their music playing in the background, so I wanted something in that spirit. I needed the song to escalate and change towards the end since it's a battle, so I came up with the final riff after seeing the band, Firebreather at a local show. I just loved the heaviness and nastiness of their set and came up with it afterwards that night and tacked it on the end.