The Story Behind Every Song on the 8AM Album

I imagine that you may be curious on the lore behind these songs… So I’ve created this post for you.

1. Seek God First - The first song, "Seek God First," features lyrics from an ancient Indian chant that Paramahansa Yogananda would meditate to, chanting it over and over. The idea is to set the focus of your life on the pursuit of your highest Self and only that—to set your heart aflame to find and connect to this higher version of you, not to seek riches, money, or things of this world, but to seek the highest thing there is—God. This was one of the trickiest songs on the album, as it was an intro to the album, I wanted it dramatic as possible, but also something that could be played in most settings… I’m extremely happy with how it came out- and it might be one of my favorite tracks on the project. Definitely something you can both meditate to - and get lit to…

2. Thru The Fire - This track, featuring one of my favorite artists and closest friends, Rapta, might seem like a song about a love interest, but it’s actually about a dialogue between your higher self and lower self. When it says, “I know that you’ve been overthinking, overdrinking,” it refers to focusing on the lower world and lower passions. The purpose of this song, and the album as a whole, is to elevate you to your higher self. It combines euro deep house energies that I picked up through my travels and seeing various house DJ's around the world with Rapta - who embodies the smooth essence of west hollywood and new world pop, hip hop rap. Rapta honestly can make any track sound buttery. Keep your girl away from this song. For a more in depth article about this song - read here.

   

   Me and Rapta in his studio in the Hollywood Hills

3. To Be - This track ties back to my roots in jazz music and my first spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle. During the creation of this album, I attended a four-day Eckhart Tolle retreat, and I infused the intention of raising consciousness into every note of this song.  “To Be” is about the journey inward and upward, through the state of “being” that Eckhart describes… moving beyond the ordinary and connecting with something higher, something transcendent. I took jazz piano lessons for a decade from when I was 5 years old - so piano and jazz has always been in my veins. I enjoyed infusing this song with that cultivated energy.

4. Free to Dream - Throughout the creation of this album, I was supported by my incredible girlfriend, Chloe. She’s been with me for over two years, witnessing my evolution from focusing on building a profitable business to dropping it all to focus on music. It took someone very special to give me the strength and encouragement to embrace who I am and let go of profits to focus on art. This song is about Chloe, and it features her voice, symbolizing the freedom that comes with acceptance in a relationship—allowing each other the space to grow and be who we truly are.

5. Where the Kings Roam - Inspired by the ancient Indian chants I heard during my Sunday meditations at the SRF ashram, this track is all about empowerment. One of the meditation chants went like this, “I will roam, I will roam, I will be the king of the land of which I roam.” I turned this chant into a song with the intention that it would penetrate your mind and remind you of your own power. It’s definitely one of the weirder songs on the album, but I want it to get stuck in your head so that, at random moments, you say to yourself, “I will be the King of the land I roam.”

6. Wait for It - This song represents a total creative explosion. It’s the track that started it all, the one that set me on this path. "Wait for It" is about anticipation, patience, and the eventual breakthrough that comes when you surrender to your true calling.

7. Disciple - A collaboration with Jack Bratset, who started as a student in one of my online courses in 2020. He eventually moved in with me when I got a house in the Hills in 2021, and I began training him as my videographer. We worked together for about three years, traveling the world and learning from each other. In 2023, I noticed that Jack was starting to have his own artistic aspirations. I fired him, but helped support him on his journey into becoming a full time DJ. Since then he has been absolutely crushing it traveling the wortld and building his own name independently around the world. So, in "Disciple" we have a reflection of that dynamic—master and student, teacher and learner, evolving together and learning from each other.

8. Free the People - The finale of the album, “Free The People,” is the culmination of a true spiritual cleansing and purification. The sample for this song was recorded in 2023 in South Africa when I saw a group of young girls singing and dancing. As soon as I recorded it, I knew that it could become a world wide anthem. Two years later, it is now the closing track of this album, complete with lightning sounds and rain effects symbolizing a baptism. It’s a celebration of life, a dance of renewal, and the perfect way to close out this journey.

Hopefully you enjoyed this. Now u know.

If you are curious to know more, or if you have a podcast or youtube channel, I’d be open to collaborating. DM me on instagram to schedule @arlin.

-Arlin