Now that Vertigo has been released and listeners have had a chance to explore the album, I thought it would be fun to share a few behind-the-scenes facts about how these songs came together.
Some stories date back decades.
Others came from unexpected places.
Together, they helped shape the journey that became Vertigo.
❄️ 1. Five Songs Began Nearly 45 Years Ago
While much of Vertigo was developed recently, several songs on the album trace their roots back nearly 45 years:
- Avalanche
- Obsession
- Turn of Events
- Frantic Heart
- Calculated Risk
Revisiting them wasn’t about preserving them exactly as they were.
It was about understanding what they meant now.
The songs remained.
The perspective changed.
❤️ 2. The Chorus of Obsession Was Designed to Be an Earworm
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most effective.
The decision to spell out:
O-B-S-E-S-S-I-O-N
was intentional.
It’s playful, memorable, easy to sing along with, and once it gets stuck in your head, it tends to stay there.
Mission accomplished.
🕰️ 3. 1979 Is Packed With Musical References
One of the most enjoyable parts of writing 1979 was weaving classic songs into the story itself.
References to artists such as Blondie, the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Michael Jackson, and Chic help create an instant sense of time and place.
The songs aren’t just mentioned.
They become part of the narrative.
✨ 4. Euphoria Takes Place in a Club Called Vertigo
Long before the album was finished, the title had already worked its way into the world of the songs.
In Euphoria, two strangers meet at a club called Vertigo.
It was a subtle way of connecting the album’s themes before listeners even reached the title track.
🎲 5. Calculated Risk May Contain a Record Number of Gambling References
At some point while writing Calculated Risk, I realized I was building an entire song around gambling metaphors.
Bets.
Parlays.
Loaded dice.
Roulette wheels.
Double downs.
Odds.
The funny thing is that the song isn’t really about gambling at all.
It’s about vulnerability and the risks we take when we allow ourselves to care about someone.
👁️ 6. Seen Came From Frustration
The inspiration behind Seen was very personal.
It came from pursuing an opportunity I believed in and then watching the final decision land in someone else’s hands.
When the outcome wasn’t what I had hoped for, frustration quickly turned into disappointment, self-doubt, and questioning my own role in what had happened.
That emotional journey eventually became the song.
🌪️ 7. The Album Title Came Before the Album
One of the reasons I chose Vertigo as the album title is simple:
I love the word.
Not just its meaning.
Its sound.
Its mystery.
Its possibilities.
It’s one of those rare words that can lead a songwriter in countless directions.
Love.
Fear.
Confusion.
Transformation.
Obsession.
Perspective.
The more I wrote, the more the word seemed to fit everything I was trying to explore.
🌌 8. Miles Away Was Inspired by a Survival Show
The title of Miles Away came from an unexpected source: the television series Alone.
As the show shifts between contestants, the screen often displays how far apart they are from one another.
The phrase “miles away” stuck with me.
Ironically, the song ultimately became about the opposite idea.
Not distance.
Connection.
Being surrounded by people yet feeling closest to one person above everyone else.
😉 9. The Wink Contains a Built-In Irony
The Wink explores questions surrounding AI, social media, media narratives, politics, authenticity, and the increasingly blurry nature of reality.
And yet…
While I wrote every lyric myself, AI-powered tools played a major role in creating the song’s music, vocals, and overall production.
A song questioning artificial realities was itself brought to life through artificial intelligence.
I couldn’t resist embracing that irony.
🌈 10. No Place Like This Contains Nods to The Wizard of Oz
The album closes with No Place Like This, and the influence of The Wizard of Oz is intentional.
The storm.
The disorientation.
The journey.
The shift from darkness into color.
The search for home.
The realization that what you’re looking for may have been there all along.
It felt like the perfect way to conclude an album about perspective and belonging.
Looking Back
When I started working on Vertigo, I didn’t know exactly where the journey would lead.
What emerged was an album shaped by old ideas, new perspectives, personal experiences, cultural observations, and a few unexpected inspirations along the way.
Most importantly, it became a collection of stories.
And now those stories belong as much to the listener as they do to me.
If you’ve already spent time with Vertigo, thank you.
And if you’ve discovered something in these songs that I never intended, that’s part of the fun too.
Sometimes listeners find things the songwriter never knew were there.
“The songs remained. The perspective changed.”
Hey there — I’m Jon. This is Moteventure, my corner of the internet where music, movies, lists, and life all collide. Glad you’re here.