Upcoming EP Release + Cache Valley Mutual Aid Fundraiser

Guess what! Open Door Policy, Utah’s favorite indie alt-rock pop-punk new-wave band (self-described, may not actually be based in reality) is releasing an EP! And we’re actually going to do a legit EP release for it! What’s more, we’re making this a fundraiser for Cache Valley Mutual Aid!

About the EP “Powering Through Last Night”

“Powering Through Last Night” is a two song EP which, rather fittingly, includes the songs “Last Night” and “Power Through“. Weird how that happens. The songs were written a few years apart, but they’re indicative of the direction Open Door Policy is heading in (or, at least, hopes to head in), so I felt that releasing these so they could be listened to by anyone checking us out was important.

Track 1: Last Night

“Last Night” was written around the time I was going through the dissolution of my marriage. I promise it’s really not as dramatic as I make it sound. It was an incredibly amicable divorce and I still consider my ex-wife a valued friend.

Nonetheless, at the time it felt very dramatic. As anyone who has lived can attest to, breakups are hard. Change in general is hard. I was falling into patterns of disorganized attachment. At one moment, acting very clingy; and the next, acting very avoidant.

I was extremely hot-and-cold to my ex, and the first and second verses + choruses, in particular, are about that chaotic dynamic and the hurt it causes. The bridge is a transitory space, finally coming to terms with the way things are and letting go of what no longer is (and, at the time, also meant letting go of connecting with them altogether so we both could have the space to process and heal).

The third verse and final chorus (refrain?) is more about taking responsibility for the mess that has been made, while remaining optimistic that, through love, we can do the work needed to allow our better natures to flourish and make the world around us a better place. And the outro is a commitment to never stop doing that work.

“Last Night” Lyrics

Verse 1
Last night, last night
We tried to right
Past wrongs to belong
Now they’re in this song
Last night, last night
We wouldn’t fight
For our dead love
Now it’s all fucked up

Chorus 1
Living, loving
We’re still trying
Fighting, hiding
We’re still lying
Crawling, falling
We’re still stalling
This time

Verse 2
You never should’ve started
What you can’t finish
You can run away from this place
But you can’t outrun your face
I never should’ve started
But swear to God I’ll finish
Cleansing this whole space
Of every trace of your face

Chorus 2
Living, loving
We’re still trying
Fighting, hiding
We’re still lying
Crawling, falling
We’re still stalling
This time

Bridge
Let’s break this down
Let’s break on out
Lets. Let. Go.

Verse 3
I know this isn’t easy
And you didn’t want to hurt me
But I hate these broken pieces
And I hate the way you left things
I don’t want to be bitter
And I’m sorry that I’m angry
I know I’m losing my composure
But I’ll find myself eventually 

Chorus 3
Hoping, coping
I’m still going
Sharing, caring 
I’m still faring
Living, loving
I’m not stopping
This time

Outro
I’m never gonna stop
Never gonna stop
I’m never gonna stop
Never gonna stop
Now

Political Subtext of “Last Night“

Originally this song was written without any sort of double-meaning. But political subtext has run through much of our work — and this year I have made the decision to make that subtext explicit (more on that in a minute).

As a result, I would like to additionally recontextualize this as a song about the political upheaval and division our country faces — and how the only way to really get through it and land in a better place is through the frank understanding that both parties have led us to where we are, we have played our own part in the current mess as well (however small), and that we need to work on ourselves, as well as our communities, to unify across ideologies and party lines to create a single working class movement.

(To be clear, this does not mean throwing marginalized groups under the bus in the name of compromise. But it does mean that people across the political spectrum need to ditch the identity politics and realize that the problem with America is not people’s pronouns, genitals, religion, race, urban / rural leanings, citizenship status, and so on, but the absolutely decimating exploitation of everyday people by the ruling class alongside their destructive hoarding of wealth + resources.)

Track 2: Power Through

“Power Through” is a newer song and it was always written as a metaphor (or is it allegory? or analogy? or simile?) for the political division in our country — using a decaying marriage as the vehicle for the message.

The first and second verses largely deal with our growing echo chambers — which are fueled by social media algorithms that feed us what we want instead of the balanced views we need. No one is immune from this. It has impacted everyone across the political spectrum — from the Left, through the Center, to the Right.

It has led to the current environment where we literally do not have a shared reality in many respects anymore. This makes trying to understand and connect with each other more and more difficult every day. And what’s worse is that instead of questioning what we’re fed, many of us seem to take it at face value and give in to the narrative.

The third verse is largely about the failures of the Trump Administration — though it can honestly apply to both Democratic- and Republican-led eras of governance. Make no mistake that many of the “successes” that America has enjoyed under Trump (if they actually exist) are despite his involvement, not because of it. And, to be fair, Democrats — particularly establishment Dems — also take credit for things they shouldn’t.

Though, at least there is evidence to show that progressive policies actually tend to lead to the outcomes we’re supposedly aiming for — while evidence shows that conservative policies tend to do the opposite (see my article on immigration for a great example of this).

The third verse closes by making it clear that we can collectively choose at any time to change things for the better. We just have to decide that we want to help each other instead of hurt or hinder each other.

Meanwhile, the driving point of the choruses and outro is that, to borrow a phrase from Nine Inch Nails, the way out is through. We cannot turn back the clock, we can only persevere through the current moment and build toward something better on the other side.

“Power Through” Lyrics

Verse 1
A rustic marriage, a wedded bliss
I never thought we’d end up like this
Two strangers in separate beds
Living our lives inside our heads
We used to share a single world
Now we don’t even share a word
All this nostalgia can’t erase
The way we’ve fallen from each other’s grace

Chorus 1
Well I guess if we can’t go back
The only way to go is through
Well I guess if we can’t go back
The only way to go is through
Well I guess if we can’t go back
We’re gonna have to power through

Verse 2
It’s no wonder we ended fast
We never thought of the other’s past
We never thought of the other’s view
We didn’t really have a clue
And, darling, our greatest sin
Might’ve been just giving in
We didn’t try to understand
Each other’s lifelong plan

Chorus 2
Well I guess if we can’t go back
The only way to go is through
Well I guess if we can’t go back
The only way to go is through
Well I guess if we can’t go back…

Bridge
We gotta power through
We gotta power through
We gotta power through
We gotta power through
WE GOTTA POWER THROUGH
WE GOTTA POWER THROUGH
WE GOTTA POWER THROUGH
WE GOTTA POWER THROUGH
We’re gonna have to power through

Verse 3
Four years is eternity
When you’re down and on your knees
And any measure of success
Was despite this self-made mess
But we can have our healing year
If we don’t make choices through fear
We can rise above it all
If we help each other stand tall

Chorus 3
Well I guess if we can’t go back
The only way to go is through
Well I guess if we can’t go back
The only way to go is through
Well I guess if we can’t go back…

Outro
We gotta power through
We gotta power through
We gotta power through
We gotta power through
WE GOTTA POWER THROUGH
WE GOTTA POWER THROUGH
WE GOTTA POWER THROUGH
WE GOTTA POWER THROUGH
We’re gonna power
Gonna power
Gonna power through

About the EP album art

I really love our album art — and it’s all thanks to GoldenRetrieverGirlfriend. I originally came to GRGF with the idea for a collage-style piece that showed different people struggling through a night when they’re alone at their lowest.

GRGF suggested that, instead of a collage, it should be a more cohesive piece — perhaps that these scenes were being reflected in the glasses of an observer. I absolutely loved this idea, though I was admittedly a bit hesitant about having a singular subject.

Thematically speaking, it made the most sense that I, the lyricist, would be the one observing all of this and then writing about it — and would thus be the subject of the art. This felt a lot like ego-stroking to me, and I was apprehensive about that. At the same time, I didn’t want to have some rando on the cover that people might not instantly recognize or connect to.

So, despite my reservations, I gave the green light to move forward with my face as the foundation. The results speak for themselves. It’s an absolutely beautiful piece that I think really connects with the EP, as well.

What does the art mean?

One of my favorite lines from Chuck Palahniuk is in his book “Diary“: “What you don’t understand you can make mean anything.” The book revolves a lot around art and its ultimate subjectivity. One of my biggest takeaways from “Diary” is: Interpreting art always says more about the interpreter than the artist.

I admittedly didn’t ask GRGF what everything meant when the final product was returned to me (assuming it means anything at all beyond the original concept). In hindsight, maybe I should have asked about that before writing this. 😅

But here’s what it means to me:

The pixelated cigarette and smoke really parallels the synth new-wave vibe we’ve been working on. The bright, vibrant oranges and purples are super evocative of the boldness of our music and its dynamic, layered sound. It gives a bit of an 80s sci-fi feel which is exactly what we’re trying to go for in some senses.

Overall, the piece is extremely polished and sleek, while maintaining a hint of a sketched aesthetic — which I’d like to believe mirrors how polished our music, style, and direction has become as a band, while trying to maintain a spirit of doing whatever we want and trying new things.

So what does all of that say about me? Maybe a bit of ego-stroking. 😅

At any rate, it’s an incredible piece of work. Once again, many thanks to GoldenRetrieverGirlfriend for the fantastic piece! It more than does justice to the music!

Taking Political Themes from Subtext to Explicit

For years, many of Open Door Policy’s songs have had political subtext. But I’ve generally tried to focus on music that is inclusive and brings people together.

In a way, that hasn’t changed. I’d like to believe that, even as we head in a more politically charged direction, we will be punching up at power — not at specific people or parties. The entire system is f**ked, and the entire system deserves criticism and dismantling.

But make no mistake that we are getting more vocal and political because of the current moment America finds itself in. We are living under a fascist regime, and it threatens everyone: rich, poor, left, right, black, white, man, woman, adult, child — and all in between.

The EP Release Party + Fundraising for Cache Valley Mutual Aid

The need to get more politically active and involved is largely why I chose why to have an EP release party in the first place. It’s a great opportunity to raise money for Cache Valley Mutual Aid.

I strongly believe we need a general strike to undo a lot of the mess in this country. But that is difficult when people live paycheck to paycheck. Mutual aid is the fuel for a sustainable general strike. The more organized, connected, and well-funded mutual aid organizations are, the more they can support people who opt to walk out of their jobs in solidarity with a general strike.

I know our EP and this show won’t solve the issues facing us. I’m aiming to raise $500 and that’s not even a drop in the bucket to what’s needed to pull off an ongoing general strike. But, at the very least, we can set an example and encourage others to get involved and help however they can.

Hopefully, in doing so, droplets can become tsunamis.

Who else is performing at the EP release party?

In addition to Open Door Policy, we have three other super-talented artists and groups joining us!

• Katie Jo Olsen is a Logan-based songwriter and artist. With a self-described Americana meets alt-country meets folk rock vibe and a big voice (both physically and morally), she often performs with a guitar and percussion at her feet.
• Honor Hour creates loud music for loud times — while shining a light into the darkness with releases like “Six Percent” and “Don’t Give Yourselves to Brutes”.
• Amelia B. Ray’s music covers a range of style, sound, and volume, even in a single song — creating a feeling that is as beautiful as it is melancholy.

Date, time, and place of the EP release party?

The Checkered Garage (626 North 300 East Logan, UT 84321) at approximately 6PM on May 2, 2026. To stay completely up to date, I suggest RSVPing on our FB event page.

Fundraiser Goals and Methods

I mentioned above that we’re aiming for $500. I believe this is realistic, but still a bit ambitious. I know Open Door Policy is a small band with a small following. But I’m hoping that between show donations and EP pre-orders, we can achieve this goal.

The max capacity for The Checkered Garage is 45 people. At $10/person, that gives us a max of about $450 in revenue. Open Door Policy will not be taking any cut of this money. Additionally, all the bands involved have opted to donate their cut to the fundraiser as well.

But that still leaves us about $50 short of our goal. The rest needs to be made up with EP pre-orders. We are charging $2.99 for the EP across digital distribution platforms. Given that most platform providers take anywhere between 15%-30% of a sale, that means we’d need somewhere around 24 album sales to pass that $50 threshold.

Cache Valley Mutual Aid Fundraiser Summary

GOAL = $500

SHOW REVENUE (max):
Capacity = 45 people
Suggested donation = $10/person
Show gross = 45 × 10 = $450
Bands’ cut = $0 (all donated) → Fundraiser keeps $450

EP PRE-ORDERS NEEDED (to cover the last $50):
EP price = $2.99 (platform fee = 15%–30%)

Worst-case (30% fee):
$2.99 × 70% = ~$2.09
$50 ÷ $2.09 ≈ 24 EP sales

Best-case (15% fee):
$2.99 × 85% = ~$2.54
$50 ÷ $2.54 ≈ 20 EP sales

Result: 45 $10 donations + 20-24 EP sales needed to reach $500!

About Cache Valley Mutual Aid (CVMA)

Cache Valley Mutual Aid (CVMA) describes itself as a local, volunteer-driven network focused on meeting real needs in Cache Valley — including food, material assistance, and even manual labor when that’s what a situation calls for.

To clarify, mutual aid is fundamentally different from traditional charity:

• Charity often flows top-down (givers vs. recipients), and can come with stigma, hoops, eligibility filters, and gatekeeping.
• Mutual aid treats support like a human baseline — neighbors supporting neighbors, because we all have inherent value.

Cache Valley Mutual Aid Values

CVMA’s published values include being anti-capitalist, anti-racist, and anti-fascist, being queer affirming, and supporting decolonization and Land Back for Indigenous peoples.

What Cache Valley Mutual Aid does

Here’s a quick look at the services CVMA provides.

Grocery delivery: They have guaranteed grocery delivery and they’ll try to accommodate other needs as best they can. They also encourage people to share all needs, not just food.

Finding food: CVMA maintains a “Food Resources” hub and explicitly invites people to share additional free food events/providers by messaging them or emailing them. They also have pages for a Food Pantry and Fridge Map.

Broader services and needs fulfillment: CVMA lists a wide range of ways people can contribute — including delivery, supply pickup, outreach, events, transportation, research, education, financial support, event planning, and more.

How to get help through CVMA

If you’re reading this and in a tight spot right now, simply head to CVMA’s “Request Assistance” page and fill out the form to get help with whatever you need!

How to support CVMA

If you’re someone who has a little extra capacity — money, time, supplies, or labor — CVMA makes it straightforward to plug in:

• Donate to CVMA directly
• Sign up as a volunteer

How you can help Open Door Policy and Local Mutual Aid

So how can you help us and, by extension, local mutual aid?

Stay informed and spread the word!

Follow us on social media and share our content when you see it:

• Open Door Policy on Instagram
• Open Door Policy on Facebook
• Open Door Policy on YouTube
• Open Door Policy on TikTok

Pre-order our EP now on Bandcamp!

All pre-order purchases go straight to the fundraiser. And if you pre-order through Bandcamp, you actually just get the entire EP immediately! Pretty nice, huh!?

• Purchase the EP on Bandcamp now

Join our collective (mailing list)!

We’ve also got a mailing list you can join, too! I honestly do not use it very often, nor do we sell or share your email with anyone else, so you’ll only get the occasionally valuable information on Open Door Policy (and possibly other local or political insights, if you opt into that — and I ever get around to doing that kind of stuff).

• Join the Open Door Collective (mailing list)

Get on the VIP list for the EP release May 2 (and share with others)!

The capacity of The Checkered Garage is roughly 45 people. I would LOVE to sell that out before the doors even open. So if you would like to ensure your spot in advance, please Venmo @caserocko $10 with your name (as listed on your ID) and the comment “EP VIP”!

Additionally, please share the event page everywhere you can:

• EP Release + Mutual Aid Fundraiser RSVP page

Let’s make droplets into tsunamis!

Together, I’d love to see this droplet of a music release become a tidal wave of fundraising activism for a local mutual aid organization.

Hey, what about those cryptic emojis you’ve been posting?

You mean these?

Yeah, those are kind of odd, aren’t they?

Okay, here’s the scoop: These are our two newest songs, plus a beloved cover, which we’ll be debuting at our show on May 2. They are, in order: “Alligator Alcatraz“, “Wake The Dead“, and “Roll Up Your Sleeves” (a Tainted Halos cover).

Alligator Alcatraz

This song is super self explanatory, but it’s basically about how we’re repeating history and anyone still on the fence needs to get off of it and start fighting to save America.

The ships brought the cargo up into the docks…
Innocence spilling through doors…
Traces of humanity were long forgot…
As selling took place on the floors…

We fought a war
And now that it’s come
We’ll say for sure…
These mistake are done
Everything is right. and. good.

Take these people who are barely free…
Box them back up into a pen…
Keep them separate from you and me…
And we can all still play pretend…

We fought in streets
And now that it’s come
We’ll say for sure…
These mistakes are done
Everything is right. and. Good.

Now we’re spiraling with no control…
Just to keep another man down…
Our prisons are filling up with all the poor…
While the rich make off with the crown…

Now do we fight?
Or sit on the fence
While we tell ourselves…
Those mistakes are done
Everything is right. and. good.
But everything’s not right. or. good.

So how should we fight?
Not just for our rights
But for someone else…
It’s the only way
To fix a world that’s bleeding through

Wake The Dead

Similar to the above, this is about the division of our country and the coldness of people’s hearts leading us down a terrible road. We need a different math and softened, awakened hearts.

At the bottom, here
We’re all living in fear
And we’re screaming now
‘Cause we need to get out

But we’re not building tomorrow
No, we can’t when we scream from our heads
We need to scream from our hearts, instead
More like a chorus… waking the dead
We need to wake our dead!

We’re not building tomorrow
No, we can’t when we shift the blame instead
We need to look inside our own heads
Our long division won’t solve this mess
We need a different math instead

Your loneliness
As you cough from your sickness
Your gnawing hunger
As your debt pulls you under

We’re not building tomorrow
No, we can’t when we scream from our heads
We need to scream from our hearts, instead
More like a chorus… waking the dead
We need to wake our dead!

We need to wake, in our hearts…
We need to wake, in our hearts…
We need to wake, in our hearts…
We need to wake what’s been dead!

We’re not building tomorrow
No, we can’t when we shift the blame instead
We need to look inside our own heads
Our long division won’t solve this mess
We need a different math instead
We need a different math instead!
We need a different math instead!
We need a different math instead!

Roll Up Your Sleeves

The first time I heard “Roll Up Your Sleeves” I was smitten. It felt like a song everyone in America should hear. And I am so happy to have the blessing of Tainted Halos songwriter Dustin Booker to not only cover this song, but also tweak the lyrics a bit for our current moment in time. I plan on this being the closer at each of our shows going forward (with “Not My Population” likely being the opener), so… Get used to it?

When did “truth” become fuel
For those who choose to make rules
Over those who truly do give a damn
We spend our days working hard
Just to go home and starve
Our bodies, minds, and souls
We should never accept their greed
To be higher than our needs
I’d never live for you
I’d never ask you to live for me

So roll up your sleeves
We’ve got a job to do
Never surrender
Though our souls are black and blue
We’ll fight for what’s right
We’ll lay down our lives
‘Til everyone is free
Put down your weapons
Pick up your tools
Onto victory
Roll up your sleeves (x2)

The harder we try
The more they demand
They complain of our efforts
And take all we have
Finding pride in your life
Gets harder each day
When giving a damn
Is a thing of the past
But everything we have in life
Was built by me and you
Let’s never be a sacrifice
To those who take
What they don’t deserve

So roll up your sleeves
We’ve got a job to do
Never surrender
Though our souls are black and blue
We’ll fight for what’s right
We’ll lay down our lives
‘Til everyone is free
Put down your weapons
Pick up your tools
Onto victory
Roll up your sleeves

Do you hear the people sing?
Singing the songs of angry men?
It’s the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the core of your beliefs
There’s a war about to start…
Roll up your sleeves!

When death feels like fate
When we stand in the gate
Lets hold our heads up high
Knowing we gave our all
Even if we still fall
We defended a richer life
We fought for other’s rights
Until we had no more left to give
Our mistakes, lets stand by them
Our sins, lets take pride in
And smile every day
That we live

So roll up your sleeves
We’ve got a job to do
Never surrender
Though our souls are black and blue
We’ll fight for what’s right
We’ll lay down our lives
‘Til everyone is free
Put down your weapons
Pick up your tools
Onto victory
Roll up your sleeves

Taking a Stand, One Song At A Time

Like I said, we’re going to be getting a lot more in your face about politics, working class solidarity, and national unity. The above is just a sampling of what’s to come. Additionally, my plan for the year is that every show we play will have a portion of proceeds going to local mutual aid efforts. And if we’re organizing the event? It will be every dollar.

I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work. 💪