The fact it’s very literal, as he based the lyrics on things that happened in his own life. The easy-going opening track, “Chipping Away,” meanwhile, touches on resilience and the importance of persevering even when things might not be falling into place the way you’d like. “There's so many things I want to do and so many things I haven't done—and I'm the one holding myself back from doing those things,” he explains. “But that's just life, I guess—and here's an opportunity to celebrate that.” Dennen recorded If It Takes Forever quickly, “in a whirlwind five days” in Los Angeles with the musicians in his live band and another long-time collaborator serving as producer, Jon Solo. This full-band configuration gave the album a distinct feeling of immediacy but also lends itself to depth-filled arrangements. Organ courses through the standout “Dharma Baby” while plaintive piano adds sharp melancholy to the meditative “Star Surfer.” “We haven't recorded an album together before now,” he notes. “But it was easy to trust everyone and get excited about what we were creating together. We felt like a team; I've never had that feeling before. That’s why I think it was easy to get so much done in a short amount of time.” In general, Dennen prefers recording live with a band anyway. But the bond he had formed with his bandmates across years of traveling around together on the road made the If It Takes Forever experience especially seamless—namely because everyone contributed parts and ideas in the studio during the process. “I was really impressed with everybody's ability to help me get to a place where I was feeling good about the direction it was going,” he says. “It wasn't me or the producer saying, ‘I want you to do this. I was hoping you would do this.’ It wasn't like ‘This is Brett’s album’—it was like, let's just make this music the best that the four of us can make it.” Since debuting in 2004 with a self-titled album, Dennen has amassed a loyal fanbase thanks to a steady touring schedule, including alongside artists like John Mayer, Jason Mraz, and G. Love & Special Sauce, as well as multiple song placements in the TV show Parenthood. Another tune, "Comeback Kid (That's My Dog)," became the theme song for the TV adaptation About A Boy. Along the way, Dennen has also had multiple top 10 hits on the AAA radio charts, with the keening title track of See the World, an encouraging song about growing up and forging your own path in life, landing at No. 4 in 2021. With If It Takes Forever, Dennen plans to hit the road once again, but he possesses additional perspective on—and gratitude for—the solace provided by art and music. “To really boil it down, this is life,” he says. “Life is full of things that get complicated and make you busy, and are really hard to deal with. But if you write songs about it, and put it into art, then it makes it a lot more relevant and meaningful and worthy of celebration.” Here's what you need to know about River Whyless: they’re a band from Asheville, North Carolina whose music sits somewhere between folk, indie and something harder to define. Known for their festival appearances (Newport Folk, Bonnaroo) and for their performances on platforms like NPR’s Tiny Desk, their sound has earned them a reputation for thoughtful songwriting and surprising arrangements. Their latest album, Monflora, feels like a conversation—between four distinct voices, between tradition and experimentation, and between the familiar and the unexpected. A return to their roots as well as a leap forward, the album blends lush harmonies with a raw, unfiltered energy.