Ben Hughes | Photo via benhughes.bandcamp.com

“It was the summer of 2009. With school, my childhood home, and my faith in religion quickly fading into the past, I felt myself plunging into the reality of ‘real life,'” singer-songwriter Ben Hughes writes on his Bandcamp of his March album release.

Earlier this year, the New Jersey-based musician (and member of of A Little Affair and Night Windows) began a project in which he will release a new album every month in 2015. The tracks are comprised of old demos written between 2005 to 2012 and are a collection of experiences throughout Hughes’ past life. His March release, American Dream or Mediocre Man, was written during the “darkest period of my life,” Hughes says.

There is something to be said about the profound openness Hughes has in addressing his past experiences. The opening track, “Goddamn,” features sunny harmonies and simple, acoustic riffs, but Hughes’ lyricism is clear-cut: “I know it’s easy to stay the same, but if you’re unhappy then make a change.” In the solemn “I Was Once A Seed,” Hughes contrasts affection and loneliness, singing: “Love’s not love, unless you give it a second chance.” He admitted to recording the tracks in a raw, swift movement, inspired by the Beatles Anthology III. Check out Ben Hughes American Dream or Mediocre Man below and download it via Bandcamp.