As we’ve previously established, A.T. Branch is unafraid when it comes to tackling uncomfortable topics. It’s why his forthcoming EP is called Renegade.

Today, he takes on addiction and abuse with his latest single, “The Flood.”

“The Flood” relates to the abuse Branch witnessed as a child from his stepfather toward his mother, as well as to a relationship he found himself in with an occasional alcohol abuser; one which led the singer to endure emotional abuse of his own.

“I always saw the better parts of them, but it got to a point where I was like, ‘My give a damn’s about to break, and I’ll let you deal with the flood,’” Branch recalls. “I felt like I was investing in this person and seeing their destructive habits, and I couldn’t make them change their life.”

“I think, in any relationship, you try to let the good supercede the negative,” Branch continued. “Sometimes, the negative can just be too much.”

“The Flood” begins with a lonely acoustic guitar riff before Branch’s somber, hushed vocal comes in, lamenting the inner conflict of whether to stay or go. An atmospheric build leads to a soaring, anguished refrain, which comes back around with a greater intensity each time. Indeed, this is a ballad of unrelenting emotion, leaving as indelible a mark as the rush of water over a levee.

Get caught in “The Flood” and have your first listen on us below!