“As soon as I got word that I wouldn’t be returning to my job in a normal capacity, I started penning the first lines for ‘Pandemic’,” states Derek Cook, principal songwriter and vocalist of the band Bad Naps (based in Williamsburg, VA). Bad Naps had just released a new EP (“Sheepish EP”) and played their first show together when the Coronavirus pandemic slowed everything to a standstill. “I knew it’d be a tough time for a lot of people, but personally, I knew how difficult a quarantine would be on me if I didn’t have something creative to work on. In writing this album, it allowed me to interpret, reflect on, and truly experience the impact of COVID-19 as it was happening in real time.”
The album takes listeners on a journey through the stages of the Coronavirus pandemic, mirroring the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. “At first I think a lot of people were skeptical, or even sarcastic, about the severity of the disease. I know I was. I wanted to capture that initial doubt and denial at the beginning of the album.” With lyrics like, “Another evening watching Tiger King,” and “When my future kids ask about this self-isolation, I’ll tell them it was just like summer vacation,” Cook explores the early emotions associated with lockdown.
“But you can’t stop there,” he continues. “You can’t be offended by track 4 and end the album. It’s intended as a complete listening experience, with ups, downs, arrogance, despair, hope, and the like. I want this album to tell the full story I, and many others around the world, experienced through the Coronavirus pandemic, and the year 2020 as a whole.”
Other songs on the album explore suffering through COVID-19 from a first-person perspective, the confusion and anger with suicide associated with the virus, political observations, and even racial struggle and inequality. “I would be absolutely remiss if I did not touch on the Black Lives Matter movement and protests that splintered our country in the midst of an already emotionally-heightened time. Specifically, I wanted to tell the story of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd: three tragedies that lead to a revolution in the US and internationally.” That song is “Black Sheep,” a six-and-a-half minute epic told in a stream-of-consciousness style, concluding with a sample of “Amazing Grace” behind Cook reading the names of those Black lives lost. “That was a tough song to write and sing, because the subject matter is brutal. But I wanted to be honest and transparent, and I hope that comes through for listeners.”
“I wanted to end the album on a hopeful note, though,” continues Cook, “as many people wanted to end 2020 in a similar fashion.” The final track, “Social Disdaining,” was actually one of the first tracks written for the album, and is the lead single off “Pandemic.” With a guest vocal performance from Philip Basnight of the band Broke Royals, the album ends with the repeated line, “I hope you find out the person you’re supposed to become.” “We all had this unique opportunity to slow down in 2020. It wasn’t what we wanted, and it was definitely difficult, losing so many friends, family, and loved ones to the awful Coronavirus; but there was a chance for self-reflection that I hope people took advantage of.”
The album will be released January 20, 2021, Inauguration Day of the new President of the United States. “That was definitely intentional,” Cook states. “That date is a sign of change on so many fronts: a hopeful end to the pandemic [with a mask mandate and vaccinations sure to follow], a hopeful end to racial inequality, and a hopeful future with a leader we can actually look to for guidance.” With musical influences like The Story So Far, The Wonder Years, mewithoutYou, Relient K, Levi the Poet, Propaganda, La Dispute, Julien Baker, and even a classical composition, Bad Naps has aimed to create a listening experience as diverse as the emotions experienced during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic, yet cohesive enough to tell the story as a time capsule for years to come.