Citizen Soldier - Down the Rabbit Hole

Center Stage Magazine world, tis the season. I am overly excited to share with you the following interview/album review, and with 2020 being almost over, and one of, if not the worst years of my lifetime, I bring to you probably my favorite piece to date as a contributor to Center Stage Magazine. I had the distinct opportunity, per my request, to have an extremely important phone conversation with lead singer and founding member of the band Citizen Soldier.

Citizen Soldier was birthed by lead singer and founding member Jake Segura after a brush with death, brought on by a failed suicide attempt, due to the stigma put on men that you need to just suck up all the bad and negative stuff in your life, regardless of what it may be, do not talk about it because that means you are weak, and just push on through.

I spoke with Segura on the phone about all of it and how I had come to find Citizen Soldier at a time in my life, just a short couple of months ago, while I was neck deep, after a lifetime of pushing it all down on the inside, in an attempt to be this stereotypical macho guy that could handle anything that life threw at me, while trying to be whoever I needed to be to whomever I was with at any given point in my life, but I digress.

Music is the universal language that can tear down just about any wall or stigma placed in front us, so I will simply allow Segura to tell you, in his own words, all about his story, and all about how Citizen Soldier came to be, and the doors of communication that have been opened since its birth. Grab a drink, grab a snack, hit play and enjoy our conversation. I hope and pray that if any of you are entertaining any thoughts about self-harm or suicide that you would please reach out to someone, anyone, for help and not allow such shallow, self-debasing stigma’s to hold you back from getting the help you need and deserve.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
800-273-TALK (8255)
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Citizen Soldier – Down the Rabbit Hole

Release Date: November 20, 2020

Down the Rabbit Hole is a masterpiece in my most humble opinion and my favorite album of 2020. Each song tells a story, basically the same story, yet all from different angles. There is no one track on this album that is better or worse than any other. Each track is equally as good and important as the others in relaying the message of individual mental hurt, pain, loneliness, and the feeling of being all alone in this world.

The song that I first discovered as I was scrolling through YouTube videos one day is track two titled ”Mess of Me”. What caught my attention at first was the overall vibe, production and heaviness of the guitar riff in the chorus of the song. What connected next for me and more importantly were the lyrics and how they were telling my story and how they connected to me on such an extremely emotional level. I decided I needed to find out more about this band and searched out more music from them and each song that I found built upon “Mess of Me” and painted a complete picture of my life and everything that I had been dealing with on a deep emotional, mental and spiritual level. I have always had music and lyrics speak to me but I have never truly been able to connect at such a deep personal level and have an entire albums worth of music paint my life’s picture so eloquently and so spot on as the songs on Down the Rabbit Hole have been able to do.

Track List:
1. My Little Secret
2. Mess of Me
3. Gunshot Lullabies
4. Hope It Haunts You
5. I’m Not Okay
6. Make Hate To Me
7. Forever Damned
8. Would Anyone Care?
9. Sacred
10. The Cage

I admit that there really is not a day that goes by that I don’t listen to Down the Rabbit Hole, it is just that good. It is a daily reminder for me that I am important and that my life counts. God put me here for a reason; He put us all here for a reason. I can either continue to try and live my life trying to please the fickle world and people around me or I can focus on becoming and being all that God created me to be. Down the Rabbit Hole helps me daily to focus on that small circle of people that actually do love and care about me and reminds me that I need to be me, and be the best me that I can be and whoever chooses not to like me for who I am then I need to cut those people out of my life.

I would implore you all to take the time to listen to Down the Rabbit Hole in its entirety. The album was released track by track, over several months, in the form of individual lyric videos which can all be found on YouTube, and which is a great way to be able to connect on a personal level with all of the songs. Also, if you dig what you hear on Down the Rabbit Hole be sure to check out the first two releases from Citizen Soldier as well; both equally as good and telling.

Caroline (EP) 2017
Relentless 2019

I would like to leave you all with a quote that I am sure you all have heard and one that I am not real sure who authored but are certainly words to grab a hold of and live by.

“Live everyday like it is your last, because you are not promised tomorrow.”

Cheers
JT