George Alley Shares “Only the Shadows Know” Single + Video | Self-Titled Debut LP Out Now via All DSP’s
George on the track, “Only the Shadows Know” was something my grandfather would say when he didn’t have the answers to something. This song searches for answers by looking to the past—part of it comes from a song I wrote in 2008, during a long-term relationship, and part of it reflects on the person who wrote those lyrics from my present perspective.
At the time, I had a magnet on my fridge listing my astrological sign (Cancer) as “clingy” and “resentful”, which inspired the idea of this as a Cancerian love song—embracing the contradictions of nostalgia, manipulation, and emotional intensity attributed to the sign. The song itself began as a 20-minute collage, which eventually transformed into the closing and most vulnerable track on the album.”
FEATURE INTERVIEW:
“Only the Shadows Know,” has deep personal roots, drawing from a track you wrote in 2008. How did revisiting those past lyrics as well as a past version of yourself influence the way you approached the song’s production and message today?
Back in 2008, I wrote a song called In Philadelphia that included the lyrics that later found their way into this song: “Love is ordinary, lust is momentary—both so easily dismissed and often missed.” At the time, I was navigating my first long-term relationship—now with someone who remains my best friend—but I was also imagining a near future where I might end up single, once again confronting the same anxieties and social expectations that often surround love and relationships for gay men.
Now, 15 years later and single, it’s almost amusing to see how those feelings and anxieties have evolved but not disappeared. The phrase Only the Shadows Know was something my grandfather used to say when he didn’t have an answer to a question, and I miss him. Now, as I reflect on my own life, I think about his reflections on his, adding another filter—or layer of nostalgia—to the song’s message.
You mentioned the influence of your astrological sign on this track’s themes. Does astrology often play a role in your creative process? More specifically, in what ways does being a Cancer contribute to the narrative of this track?
I occasionally consult an academic Tarot reader who focuses more on the historical and sociological significance of astrology. Their perspective offers a way to analyze themes of fate, emotion, and cycles of time—all of which play into “Only the Shadows Know”. For instance, a few descriptive words in the lyrics were drawn from negative qualities commonly associated with Cancers—taken from a fridge magnet I had back in 2008, alongside a similar Scorpio magnet that belonged to my now ex.
More abstractly, the Cancerian influence extends to the song’s music video (directed by Adam Peditto) through the concept of the Keystone, which serves as the central piece of a royal arch—a symbol often associated with the “summer of life.” Cancer, as a zodiac sign, is linked to summer and represents a pivotal stage in life’s journey. We deliberately filmed in Philadelphia, the oldest major city in the Keystone State, beneath and near a symbolic arch—the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, named after Franklin, a renowned Freemason. So maybe, the bridge echoes the song’s themes of legacy, transition, and the passage of time.
“Only the Shadows Know” started as a 20-minute collage before becoming the final track on your album. How did this transformation happen, and what did it take to turn such a sprawling idea into the vulnerable, intimate song we hear now?
Ian Romer, who produced the album, sat with me for two days as we essentially mapped out the entire track like an Excel spreadsheet to make sense of what I had given him. There were around 65 tracks, many of them analog recordings from my Roland JP-8000, along with layers of synths that I wanted transposed into other voices. The acoustic guitar, played by Ian, and the saxophone, played by Alec Spiegelman, and Jack Reilly’s Drums were key elements that emerged from this process.
At first, Only the Shadows Know was just one of many ideas floating around—until suddenly, it became the song we couldn’t stop thinking about. One moment that stands out is when I heard the guitar solo in my head and refused to talk to anyone until I had a chance to sing it to Ian later that day—I didn’t want to risk forgetting it.
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