Koe Wetzel releases live performance video of “Sweet Dreams”

I can't wait to hear it live myself.

About a week ago, Koe Wetzel has released another new single from his upcoming album 9 lives is called “Sweet Dreams” and shows Koe mourning a past flame and taking responsibility for the fact that he can't seem to keep something beautiful for long. And the memory of this girl even seems to haunt him in his sleep, making it difficult for him to have “sweet dreams” anymore.

It's a pretty open, honest look at Koe and how he sees himself in relationships, blaming himself more than the girl he left heartbroken, which is a pretty mature take and definitely some kind of development (no matter how small it may be):

“A man like me would keep it to himself
A bigger man would tell you to your face
Yes, I am not feeling well and it shows
Was I the only one you couldn't save?
I hate being the reason you cry
The way you always knew when I was lying
And breaking your heart became exhausting
I knew I had to let you go”

The production also has a bit of R&B flair and is much softer than what we've heard on albums like Hell Paso And Harold Saul Highand Koe says he was actually a little inspired by the R&B style of something like Usher's iconic Confessions Album (still one of my favorite albums, but I digress…):

“I was thinking of an R&B-type song, something from Usher's 'Confessions' album, with a hard-hitting drum beat and a really cool melody.

I had written 'Sweet Dreams' in my notes a few weeks earlier. When we got to Sonic Ranch in El Paso, we tried it out. We stepped back to look at the song and were really excited about how it came out.”

And today he released a live performance video of the song from when he played at Hangout Fest in Alabama about a week ago.

He addressed the audience and said that it was the first time he and the band had played the song live and that it might not be perfect considering they had been drinking since “zero o’clock in the morning”:

“We only recorded the new song about two nights ago and haven't played it live yet, so if we mess it up, we sincerely apologize. We've only been drinking since nine this morning.”

And considering all that, I think it sounds pretty damn good… actually, I almost like the live version better (this shouldn't surprise you by now) and the way they played the bridge live and the rest of the production is more effective in that setting.

9 lives will be in theaters everywhere on July 19th. You can watch the film here and form your own opinion:

The studio cut:

9 lives Tracklist:

“Continuation” sketch
“9 Lives (Black Cat)” (Ropyr Wetzel, Amy Allen, Gabe Simon)
“Casamigos” (Ropyr Wetzel, Amy Allen, Sam Harris, Ben Burgess, Gabe Simon)
“Damn Near Normal” (Ropyr Wetzel, Amy Allen, Gabe Simon, Carrie Karpinen, Sam Harris)
“Leigh” (Ropyr Wetzel, Amy Allen, Gabe Simon)
“Twister” (Ropyr Wetzel, Steve Rusch, Ben Burgess, Josh Serrato)
“High Road” (Ropyr Wetzel, Amy Allen, Gabe Simon, Carrie Karpinen)
“Rethinking” (Charles John Brocco, Keith Quenton Gattis)
“Hatchet” (Gabe Simon, Mike Coogan)
“Sweet Dreams” (Ropyr Wetzel, Amy Allen, Josh Serrato, Gabe Simon, Sam Harris)
“Runnin' Low” (Ropyr Wetzel, Amy Allen, Sam Harris, Gabe Simon, Ben Burgess)
“Bar Song” (Blake “Shy” Carter, Breyan Isaac, Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II, Dave Gibson)
“The Last Outlaw Living” (Josh Serrato, Ben Burgess, Sam Harris)