Since we last checked in with The Love-In, much has changed. First, they changed their name. Next, they’ve begun preparing to release their forthcoming EP, As It Lays, on September 4.

The Nashville-based quartet — consisting of Laurel Sorenson (vocals), Emma Holden (guitar), Michael Rasile (drums), and Max Zikakis (bass) — worked with producer Collin Pastore (Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers) on the upcoming five-track effort, which the band says is about freedom, and “recognizing the ways that social norms and gender roles discourage individuality and the mirage that conformity is what we ought to strive to achieve.”

The soon-to-be-released title track, “As It Lays,” takes this desire for freedom, and highlights the ways in which it is especially potent when we are faced with personal tribulations. The anthemic single’s upbeat groove, bright guitars, and glistening keys underscore a memorable performance from Sorenson, who uses her all-powerful vocal instrument to make sense of life’s often-rigorous, sometimes-cruel twists and turns.

“This song was inspired by Joan Didion’s 1970 novel, Play it As it Lays. I read it at a time when it felt like my whole life was falling apart,” Sorenson explains. “Didion’s journalistic approach to despair resonated with my own outlook. The main character has very little personal sovereignty, but finds that driving on the freeway each morning is a way to bring order to her personal chaos. ‘As it Lays’ is about coming to grips with the idea that the universe is detached and unsentimental. It’s a game of chance and all you can do is play the cards you’ve been dealt.”

While you play your cards, hit play on “As It Lays” below. Perhaps, it will help you make a little sense of this wild world!