Today, Carriers — the project helmed by proud Cincinnatian Curt Kiser — shares a new single, “In My Head.” It’s the latest from Every Time I Feel Afraid, their debut album for Brassland (This Is The Kit, Bartees Strange) due out May 2.

Listen to “In My Head” and pre-order/save Every Time I Feel Afraid here.

“In My Head” finds Kiser at an inflection point, reflecting on the swirl of emotions and uncertainty surrounding a major life decision, as well as the impact it could have on your loved ones. Riding a deep groove, the track pairs Kiser’s vocal delivery — which falls somewhere between Amen Dunes and Andy Shauf — with 80s synth textures that Peter Gabriel or Prefab Sprout would happily nick. It’s a further expansion of the Carriers sound: dreamy atmospheres playing host to earnest and inviting songwriting.

Watch the lyric video for “In My Head” here.

Of the song, Kiser says: “It was written after meeting my partner Kristin and growing close over the course of a summer, about 7 years ago now. I had completely fallen for her but knew she wasn’t looking to commit to something new. Up to that point I’d never written songs for anyone, but for Kristin they came easy. Late one night I sent her the demo version of the track I had recorded after getting home from the bars.

She loves dance tracks, and during that summer there was a new wave dance night we would go to together in Northside, Cincinnati, where we now live. I definitely think the song took some inspiration for those nights. I made the demo on bass instead of guitar, added arpeggiated synth, and sang over that. She loved it.”

The soul of Every Time I Feel Afraid is one that reckons with the realities and hardships of a life spent running down a dream. “In my twenties, I had the freedom to just leave town, pay a little rent on a place I shared with other musicians, and work a service industry job to cover it,” he shares. “As I approach my mid-thirties, I can’t do music in the same way. I need to pay my bandmates something decent and be close to breaking even at the end of the night. The opportunity has to be right.”

Kiser is as grounded and realistic as they come, but everything seems to indicate that the window of opportunity is cracked open. He boasts the support of Cincy music scene institution Shake It! Records (who are putting out a special vinyl version of the new album, preorder available here) as well as friends like Bryan Devendorf (of Cincinnati indie rock heroes The National), Dave Hartley (of The War On Drugs), and Ben Lanz (Beirut, The National), who all contributed to the recording of Every Time I Feel Afraid.

Early tracks from the album — including “Blurry Eyes” and “Sometimes” — are connecting, earning press support from Stereogum and Consequence and organic airplay at KEXP, KCRW, CBC Afterdark, and WXPN’s World Cafe. And, having cut their teeth opening for the likes of Band Of Horses, Fruit Bats, Big Thief, and Damien Jurado, Kiser is eager to take the well-oiled Carriers band on the road.

Carriers will be supporting the release of Every Time I Feel Afraid with live dates across the midwest, including Nashville, Chicago, and an album release show at Cincinnati’s historic Woodward Theater on May 24. See full itinerary below.

With Every Time I Feel Afraid, Kiser takes heed of all of the little signs the universe has sent his way and commits to his destiny as a songwriter. “It’s who I am and what I’m good at,” he says. “It’s taken a few hundred songs to feel confident in it, but I’m there now. I’ve accepted it as my life’s work no matter how successful I’m perceived to be in the world outside my home.”