Scot “Little” Bihlman has unleashed his latest single “Pain” through V13 Music as part of the continued rollout of his upcoming album Heavy Head. Inspired by the atmospheric heft of Nine Inch Nails and the contemplative pull of Pink Floyd, “Pain” presents a common conflict through a contemporary lens: what if pressure continues to build, with nowhere to store it?

“Pain” begins with a sparse simplicity. Just guitars and vocals, and not a lot of room to hide. It’s a little like the sparse confessional of classic rock, but it never really enters this space. There is no sense of urgency to resolve anything. The tension is allowed to build, lending a sense of intensity to the beginning of the song.

As the song progresses, it starts to change. The pre-chorus rises with restraint, providing a sense of possibility without breaking the mood. A short instrumental section, marked by a mandolin, adds an unexpected texture to the arrangement without making it feel ungrounded. Bihlman works his way up carefully, eschewing drama for a sense of control, a sense of how pressure really builds.

Ultimately, “Pain” is a track about endurance and the point at which that endurance begins to break. It is a journey from being overwhelmed to the point where you realize that something has got to give, and that this is not going to come from outside, but rather that you need to look within for solutions. With this release, Bihlman is taking Heavy Head even deeper into the realm of the personal, providing a track that is rooted in tradition but with a voice very much rooted in the tensions of the day.