MORE ABOUT “HOW TO KEEP A FIRE BURNING (EP)

Nashville-based indie rock outfit Safari Room returns with their most emotionally resonant work to date: a 4-song EP titled How to Keep a Fire Burning. Across the release, the band explores the delicate balance of burnout and resilience, internal struggle and external hope — a thematic arc that captures the slow, human work of staying lit when the world demands more than you can give.

"The Wheel" captures the disorientation and emotional fatigue of being stuck in a relentless cycle — where responsibility, burnout, and repetition drain the self of meaning. Through vivid imagery like “a stack of hats” and a “garden gate… tired and rusted,” the narrator expresses a deep yearning for not just change, but true transformation. The chorus echoes a desperate cry for something radically different — “not just some other shade of blue.” The song rides the edge of emotional collapse while still holding out for the possibility of renewal. It’s about hitting the limit of endurance and daring to imagine something beyond the grind — something new, something real.

"Land of Open Doors" is an anthem of resilience and perspective. It addresses personal struggle with both compassion and challenge, urging the listener to confront hardship with self-belief and optimism. Through metaphors like “my little buffalo” and “don’t let your circles square,” the lyrics blend tenderness with a push toward movement and growth. The song gently dismantles self-limiting patterns, reminding us that we are “someone worth fighting for” and that life offers more space than we think — a “land of open doors” for those willing to look up. Encouraging without being saccharine, it’s a mantra for finding strength in vulnerability and reclaiming agency.

"Cloudy" is an intimate reflection on anxiety and spiraling thought patterns — a conversation with someone stuck in the storm of their own mind. With dry wit and quiet empathy, the lyrics highlight how irrational fears can distort reality (“the villain cuts the cord and the piano falls”), while affirming how hard it is to silence those thoughts. The song balances humor with vulnerability, showing what it feels like to drift mentally, emotionally untethered. But at its core, “Cloudy” is a grounding presence — a plea to come back down, to stop “freakin’ out,” and to rejoin life before you’re “too far to be found.” It’s both a mirror and a lifeline.

The title track, “How to Keep a Fire Burning,” is a quiet triumph — a celebration of survival, growth, and hard-won freedom. Emerging from past cages and storms, the narrator reclaims their agency with steady resolve: “I’ve resolved to give myself a try.” The lyrics balance fragility and strength — “In one hand, ash, the other hand a feather” — capturing the delicacy of healing and the strength required to sustain it. It’s not a loud victory, but an honest one: a moment of clarity under the sun, where staying alive and present is both the goal and the reward. It’s the EP’s emotional summit — a statement of becoming.

Produced with both clarity and restraint by Jared Corder of Repeat Repeat at his oasis of a studio, Polychrome Ranch, the EP continues Safari Room’s evolution as a band known for their emotive blend of indie rock, layered textures, and lyrical vulnerability. Alec Koukol, the songwriter and creative force behind Safari Room, performed all instruments on the record aside from drums (which Jared Corder provided). It further emphasizes a hands-on approach that adds to the EP’s intimate and focused feel. How to Keep a Fire Burning is not about perfection — it’s about perseverance. About choosing to carry the flame, even when it flickers.

For press inquiries, interviews, etc:
Alec Koukol – alec@safariroomband.com

Socials and streaming links:
LinkTree: linktr.ee/safari_room
Facebook: www.facebook.com/safariroomband
Instagram: www.instagram.com/safari_room
Twitter: twitter.com/safari_room
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@safari_room