I started writing songs in earnest when the governor of Illinois closed down churches and small businesses. The stress and pressure of the lockdowns and the ruination of the lives people had built for themselves overwhelmed me. Writing a song transported me to another place and time. It was therapy....

Do you remember what we said last year? We all said, “It’s going to be better next year.” We all said, “Next year we can go back to normal.” We all said it, admit it! Was it better? Did we go back to normal? Nope. Not in any meaningful sense,...