Page 113 of To Bring You Back
Tegan lifted a shoulder. “I never would’ve guessed he was serious enough to wait months for you, but here we are. Plus, he affected good change in your life. You’re happy, aren’t you?”
Adeline nodded.
“Have you told him about the tattoo yet?”
Adeline turned her wrist and looked at the Hebrew characters on the inside of her forearm. She’d brought a picture of Gannon’s tattoo when she’d had hers done so the artist could copy the style, though she’d picked a different verse. The idea had been to tell Gannon about it right away, but then she’d realized how brazen it had been, copying him in such a permanent way.
“You ought to.”
“I don’t know.” The longer she’d waited to tell him, the harder it’d been to think of how to bring it up. Maybe it’d be better to just show him whenever they saw each other again.
Similar thoughts had kept her from broaching the topic of their relationship. So much time had passed. And it wasn’t like she could ask him on a date when he wasn’t even in the country.
“He’d like to know. I think it’d clarify some things for him.”
Adeline smoothed her fingers over the tattoo. “Like what?”
Tegan smiled and turned to go. “Just tell him. And enjoy the article.”
Adeline checked the time. She’d taken a quick lunch, and her next appointment wasn’t for an hour, so she could spare a few more minutes.
She paged through the magazine until a picture of smoke and lights caught her eye. She pressed the pages flat on the desk. The photo had been taken at a show from behind at least a few rows of fans because silhouettes of heads and hands lined the bottom of the foreground. On stage, Gannon leaned toward the mic, midsong, gripping his guitar. Kyle, the second guitarist who toured with them, and Philip, the new bassist, flanked him. John sat behind the drums, one arm raised with a drumstick in his hand.
She looked over the other photos. Gannon and John talking, presumably backstage. Gannon and Kyle playing their guitars together. The guys walking down a hall, Gannon followed by Philip and the others.
So close, yet so far away.
This might not be the pick-me-up Tegan had intended, but she’d come this far. She lifted the magazine and settled into her chair.
Gannon Vaughn has the even, steady look of a man who knows what he’s about. The powerhouse behind Awestruck’s vocals and guitar, Vaughn turns everything he touches to platinum—or diamond, now that Awestruck’s albumAll I Askedhas sold over ten million units.
We caught up with the singer backstage in Pittsburgh, one of 80 stops in Awestruck’sLetting Goworld tour.
TMR:Thanks for taking the time to meet with us. This has been a big year for you. Adding bassist Philip Miller, releasing the new album, the tour.
GV:This year’s been crazy, but the band is more solid than ever, and that simplifies everything. We’re in a good place, operating and creating from a good place, and grateful for the opportunity our fans give us to do that. Without them, this wouldn’t be possible, so I’m happy to say that I think they’re going to like what’s in store.
TMR:They already like your latest offering,Letting Go,which has been topping charts since its release. You’ve been quoted saying the album contains your best work to date. What makes this collection different from your past albums?
GV:You can’t produce your best art when you’re not honest with yourself about who you are. This album came from letting go of pretense and having those honest conversations. But the goal’s always that when people hear Awestruck, the songs won’t be about us anymore.Letting Gois about the fans, what’s going on in their lives, whether the song is about addiction, redemption, the dynamics of relationships.
TMR:Speaking of relationships, in the past, you’ve stated that what people take for love songs are, in fact, inspired by your faith. You seem to have ventured from this with a couple of tracks onLetting Goin which the lyrics refer to a woman. Can you shed light on the inspiration behind songs like “If I Let Her Go” and “Phoenix”?
GV:They are love songs. As for the rumors, you mean the actress who claims I have feelings for her.
TMR:We weren’t going to get that specific.
GV:I didn’t write “If I Let Her Go” or “Phoenix” for that actress. I’ll give her points for being right about one thing: I do still have feelings for the woman I wrote those for. She knows who she is.
TMR:Philip Miller wasn’t available when Awestruck started recording forLetting Go, so a quarter of the songs include other bassists, including one name that stands out. Adeline Green, who wrote and recorded the bass line for “Phoenix,” was a part of Awestruck at its inception. What was it like to collaborate with her again?
GV:She added to the song in ways no one else could’ve, and we were thrilled to work with her again, but the collaboration wasn’t the reunion I wish it’d been. She couldn’t join us in the studio because of other commitments, so the bass line was recorded separately.
TMR:There is speculation that she provided more than the bass line.
GV:I know what you’re getting at, and yes, absolutely. Awestruck never would’ve gotten off the ground in the first place if not for her.
TMR:That isn’t what I was getting at.
