As most of the creative world felt the soul-destroying effects of the pandemic in 2020 and beyond, Matt Blankenship Jr was no different. “Our first show at The Troubadour had been canceled three months prior just as everyone locked down. My relationship was treading water and waiting to drown. The pandemic was simultaneously crushing my musical dreams and opening up new possibilities,” said the lead singer.

He describes a day in Los Angeles as the conception of the new hit single “Acapulco”. An aimless walk through the city led him to the empty beaches of Santa Monica at the height of the pandemic. “I started writing down ideas that would become our new single Acapulco, the Pilot album, and ideas that haven’t been realized yet…For the first time in years, I felt as though I was present in a clearing in my life. The fork in the road ahead was spidered into almost infinite possibility. I felt calm,” said Blankenship Jr.

The world shutdown resulted in many people trying new things out of pure boredom and self-discovery. What initiated as a day of songwriting in Santa Monica culminated in Albuquerque, New Mexico, or as Matt likes to call it, “the Hawaii of the southwest”. On a road trip to Texas, the singer decided to take a different route, one that passed through, you guessed it, Albuquerque. On a stop for gas in the New Mexico hub, he fell in love with an idea in a place unknown to his creativity. His quest to finish “Acapulco” and his pending project “Pilot” was realized, and The Sometimes Island had found a new island indeed. “Albuquerque is a magical place in its slow and friendly way. Acapulco is a bit of a metaphor for it. It’s an island that isn’t surrounded by an ocean of water.” The singer describes the city as having a “there’s always a tomorrow” kind of attitude. This notion is what pushes us all to get through the life-changing times we’ve experienced since the outbreak of Covid. As the song says, “she needs a permanent vacation,” we all do after the last year and a half.

You can keep up with The Sometimes Island on Instagram @thesometimesisland and their website  www.thesometimesisland.com  for all new music.