It’s every rock band’s worst nightmare. No, not talking about the power cutting out just before doing a show in front of a room full of A&R reps. An accident — a tour van accident, to be precise. The kind that would shake even the most brazen lead singer into a complete tailspin.

Last year, singer-songwriter Charlie Haley and his bandmates were driving down the highway when their van’s cruise control shaft got stuck and the breaks just plain cut out. If that doesn’t strike enough terror into your heart, they were also in a construction zone going about 90 MPH. Thankfully, Haley’s quick thinking saved their lives –he shifted the van into neutral and pulled out the key, ending the dramatic saga.

That near-death experience led Haley to pen “Today,” a rock ‘n’ roll-infused jam that perhaps sardonically begins, “Life is moving way too fast” and continues through all of the proverbial eye-opening resolutions one might have after such a traumatic experience, promising that “it starts today.” Equal parts touching and inspiring, it’s a song where the knowing the context makes it just that might better.

Here, in its Popdose premiere, check out Charlie Haley’s “Today” below, the titular track of his new EP, due out May 27.

About the Author

Allison Johnelle Boron

Allison lives in Los Angeles where she is a freelance music journalist, jug band enthusiast, and industry observer. She is also the editor of REBEAT magazine. Find her on Twitter.

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