THE HIDDEN FACTOR BAND

NO SLOWING DOWN

Songwriter: Jason Mills

Producer: Jason Mills

Mills' 2021 bout with cancer and Jeff Wollard's 2017 heart attack contributed to the creation of this song. As the EP's title track, No Slowing Down makes a compelling argument that advancing age is no reason to discontinue the things you love. With a heavy drumbeat and a catchy guitar riff, this piece is the sound of optimism. The line only one thing gonna slow you down/if your heart says you'll never get any better sets the theme for a song that will remind fans of the good old Hidden Factor power-pop days. Best of all, what a perfect song to set the tone for a 30-plus year reunion.

BROTHER (2023)

Songwriter: Jeff Wollard

Producer: Jason Mills

Special Guest (keyboards): Jeffrey Sheets

Special Guest (drums): Gary Olson

The song that ignited the band's interest in reuniting. Written by Jeff Wollard in 2021, the lyrics define what it means to be the brother of someone with whom a person has no actual blood relationship. Brother was originally recorded in January 2022 in support of Mills during his cancer treatments, and he later reported that it not only encouraged him immensely, but also influenced his decision to forge a band reunion. This new version departs from the original in that it relies heavily on acoustic guitar as Wollard's songs so often do. This better conveys the song's notion that though it may be true we come from different mothers/you still are my brother. This song features the harmonies of a classic Todd Wollard dual-guitar solo. Additionally, the distorted rhythm guitar in the crescendos was originally played by Jeff Wollard when it was discovered in the studio that no one else had learned the part.

HOLE IN MY HEART

Songwriter: Jim Miele

Producer: Jason Mills

Miele said he wrote this tune to sound like something he might have written back in the band's glory days. Inspired by artists such as Nick Lowe, the Knack and XTC, this is another catchy, upbeat tune that includes a jangly guitar and an intense bridge with a heart-stopping crescendo. A number of late revisions were made in the studio, making this one of the more difficult tunes for the band to record. Hole in My Heart features personal, heart-felt lyrics that are simply about indifference to fate, loss, and the questioning of faith, which in this case are issues ultimately resolved in healing and acceptance. The suggestion is made that loss will always leave you with a hole in your heart, and that can never be filled.

SOMETHING IN HER WAY

Songwriter: Rob Gallas

Producer: Jason Mills

Gallas wrote Something In Her Way specifically for the reunion project. As a longtime fan of the Hidden Factor's upbeat pop sensibility--as well as their trademark vocal harmonies--he aimed to write a song that included the band's classic idiosyncrasies with flares of their influences such as the Beatles, the Plimsouls and Elvis Costello. The song features a syncopated rhythm giving way to a driving pop beat and even includes a twinge of a reggae sound at times. The lyrics describe the feeling one gets when an initial personal attraction takes place between two people and love eventually ensues. Gallas explained that "It is all you see and you're elevated to that cosmic realm, all the way up to the moon/float through the stars, landed on Mars. The song is loosely based on his experience of meeting his wife Sharon. With vivid imagery, detailed layered vocals and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, this song is the only tune on the EP written without the influence of a difficult personal experience.

SHE'S A RIVER

Songwriter: Jeff Wollard

Producer: Jason Mills

String arrangement: Jason Mills

The finale is the tale of a man's fruitless effort to tame that which cannot be tamed. This eerie yet beautiful piece is a departure from the upbeat mood of the EP, featuring a chilling slide guitar played by Mills, emotional vocals by Gallas, a moody guitar solo by bassist Miele, and an accompaniment of strings that creates an ironic juxtaposition. The somber, contemplative lyrics are complemented by a growling cello in the final verse that speaks any words that might have been overlooked. The closing line, I took my turn to try to slow her down/I ain't nothing but a fool, provides final closure to the song's content. Wollard originally insisted that this song be recorded without drums. He was overruled, and the result of his echoing thuds is haunting.

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