Americana singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Cruz Contreras wrote "Stop Giving Your Heart Away," from his debut solo album Cosmico (out Sept. 15), following a period of self-reflection and personal upheaval. The melancholic song ended up serving as a gentle reminder to himself.
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"'Stop Giving Your Heart Away' is one of those songs that when I stepped back from writing it I couldn't tell if I was speaking to a future listener or giving myself some much needed advice," Contreras tells Wide Open Country. "I think both were true. Personally, I was at a point where I desperately needed to make some changes. I didn't really know how to get where I wanted to be but I knew I was done going about things the way I had. From my dad's passing to my band ending, from a pandemic to finding love and direction, the making of this song marks a turning point that I am so grateful for. The lush sonic treatment and melancholy delivery is just what was called for to swallow this much needed bitter pill."
Listen to "Stop Giving Your Heart Away" below.
Cosmico was produced by Ethan Ballinger (Miranda Lambert, Lee Ann Womack) and Megan McCormick (Jenny Lewis, Allison Russell, Amythyst Kiah) and engineered by Craig Alvin (Kacey Musgraves). Contreras, who performed for several years in the bands CCstringband and The Black Lillies, says the album serves as a turning point.
"I've been playing music and writing songs for as long as I can remember," he says. "For most all of that time, there has been a voice in or outside my head telling me I wasn't good enough. 'Just give up, stop trying so hard, don't embarrass yourself.' I would throw songs away, self-sabotage, and doubt myself. It was so confusing because it seems to be what I've always been best at and has brought me so much joy," Contreras says in a press statement. "I think Cosmico is the closing of the door in that chapter of my life...The other voices no longer carry the same weight."
