“4:30” creates a dreamy night-owl atmosphere, with arpeggiated guitars that underpin Angela Perley’s exploration of reflection and seeking self-acceptance. Taking her cues from timeless songwriters like Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Patti Smith, she combines her delicate and dreamy vocals with a knack for emotional storytelling.
“'4:30' is the record’s anthem and mantra in many ways,” says Perley. “It's about overcoming obstacles, moving forward, and facing adversity head-on. I wrote it during a time in my life where I had started to feel unbalanced for a variety of reasons. There were several life changes I knew I needed to make which were difficult and I kept finding myself in situations where I felt like I had no control. Writing the song was my way of beginning to move forward and regain stability.”
The track's title and theme, “4:30”, is a significant time of night for Perley: “4:30 is when my body’s natural sleep cycle begins,” she explains, “so if I’m not on a schedule I tend to stay up until then. I often find myself awake at 4:30 a.m. if I’m not on a schedule of some kind and feel very creative at night. I started writing this one at 4:30 a.m., which is usually later than I start writing songs, but that energy gave it an almost lucid dream-like vibe.
“I also remember listening to Lucinda Williams’ 'Joy' on repeat around the same time I wrote '4:30' so I think the spirit of that song subconsciously sparked the creative process. I was also revisiting some old Dylan records that I hadn’t listened to in a really long time, which inspired the 'Tangled Up in Blue' shoutout in verse three.”
Perley co-produced “4:30”, as well as the entire album, with longtime collaborator Chris Connor, who she took the track to and created arrangements and a subsequent demo with. After tracking the whole album live in Ohio and adding more instrumentation and vocal overdubs at their home studio, Dave Collins (D’Angelo, Bruce Springsteen) mastered the record.
