“Growing Up Is Strange”, the latest single from 23-year-old songwriter from rural north Louisiana, Rupe is exactly what you would expect from the title. It’s a nostalgic, midtempo look back at all the best times you’ve had in life so far that you can never get back. The lilting melody served up with an earnest but deadpan delivery paired with a number of spacey drones and an elegant, echoey guitar solo perfectly set the stage for some rainy afternoon reflection. What sets the song apart from so many other odes to the waning days of high school is the lack of pretentiousness when describing that time of life and appreciating the small moments you took for granted that you end up missing the most.
“This song was written in my final days of college, looking back on a lot of the times in my life from that point and even before that. The lyrics mention places that have a deep meaning for me. Like, for instance, the Waffle House reference. Waffle House both in my college town and hometown have helped me grow many friendships, some of which have died out since and others that are still flourishing. Late nights there with my friends, talking to the cooks, getting to develop friendships with the staff, and not knowing what or who you would see at 2 AM. There are several lyrics in this song that just bring those same feelings and memories. I’ve always latched onto nostalgia, even as a young kid. This song is about that. It’s about feeling sad that the past is the past, but grateful that I got to experience it,” says Rupe.
