Inland Years is a solo project by Ryan Daniels, based in Brooklyn, NY, who has spent decades making music in the screamo and hardcore communities. This is his take on pop and ‘Alone’ is one of his “DIY songs, short and sweet”.

Written and recorded in fleeting moments between the chaos of daily life, Keep Your Eyes on the Road is a collection of songs about movement, memory, and the slow weight of time. It’s about being stuck yet restless, longing for connection while needing space, and searching for meaning in the quiet spaces between.

Daniels explains: “Everything is recorded at home, bouncing between analog and digital for texture. I typically start with a click track and a guitar line, laying it down on a Zoom R24. From there, I build layers—favoring acoustic sounds like tenor guitars, mandolins, and an old Taishōgoto I picked up in Japan. I also use an old Casio keyboard and bury lush synths, like Mellotron, deep in the mix. I like to push the stereo image so much that the instruments start blending together, creating a wall of sound. Once the instrumentals are done, I work on vocals and counter-melodies, aiming to keep everything raw and immediate—imperfect but full of feeling. After that, I mix in GarageBand, compress it all, and do my best with the mastering process, though I wish I knew more.”

This Is Pop? today’s song of the day is here for you.