ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK
Songs written somewhere between survival and stubbornness.
Interview by Glitch & Gold
Some records feel polished into perfection. Others still carry fingerprints, scars and sleepless nights inside the songs themselves. One Step Forward & Two Steps Back belongs firmly to the second category.
For TuskHead, the new EP arrives not as an escape from reality, but as a document of trying to move through it. Across themes of burnout, depression, PTSD and emotional exhaustion, the project never hides behind metaphor for too long. Instead, it leans into honesty, into imperfection, into the uncomfortable weight of continuing forward while life keeps resisting every step.
At the same time, the record remains deeply connected to the warmth of Americana, heartland storytelling and Appalachian atmosphere. Recorded in Tennessee alongside Migrant Records and shaped by time spent in Knoxville and the Smoky Mountains, the EP expands TuskHead’s self-described “Dutchicana” identity into something even more personal, stubborn and lived-in.
There’s no attempt to imitate Southern mythology here. What emerges instead is the sound of someone filtering those influences through Dutch roots, personal struggle and an unwavering need to keep songs emotionally truthful.
The result is a record that feels raw without becoming performative, reflective without losing its edge, and deeply human in the moments where it refuses to pretend everything is fine.
01 One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Your new EP One Step Forward & Two Steps Back feels more personal and emotionally exposed than your earlier work. What changed for you while writing these songs?
“I guess life changed for me, really. During the writing process I was hit with a lot of setbacks, and that naturally found its way into the songs. I’ve always written from a first-person perspective, but this time there was less distance between what I was going through and what ended up on the record. It became a collection of songs about trying to keep moving forward while life keeps pushing back more than one step.”
❝ “It became a collection of songs about trying to keep moving forward while life keeps pushing back more than one step.” ❞
02 The Things That Stay In The Background
A lot of the new material seems to deal with inner conflict, mental health and trying to move forward while carrying heavy things with you. Was it difficult to be that honest on record?
“In a way, yes. But at the same time, I don’t really know how to write any other way. I’ve always been drawn to honest songwriting, and I’m not that interested in sugarcoating things.
I’ve dealt with burnout, PTSD and depression, and I think depression especially is something that can linger in the background even when you’re doing better. So for me, writing about that felt kind of necessary, because that is the situation I’ve been going through.
I’m a big advocate for mental health, especially men’s mental health, and I think part of that is being willing to say things as they are. Not to make it dramatic, but because sometimes that’s what actually helps people feel less alone.”
03 Dutchicana
You’ve described your sound as “Dutchicana”, somewhere between country, folk and heartland rock. Do you still feel connected to that term, or has your music started moving beyond labels altogether?
“Yeah I think Dutchicana really fits my music. It’s kind of a homage to Americana, my favorite genre to listen to and to play, but with my own Dutch stubbornness and influences.
Fun fact: the first person to call my music “Dutchicana” was my friend and producer Joel Raif, who I worked with on the Modern Electric Sessions EP in Dallas back in 2023. And I just stuck with it ever since.”
04 Smoky Mountain Echoes
Recording in Tennessee and working with Migrant Records clearly left a mark on this project. What did being there bring out in you creatively that you couldn’t have found back home?
“I think it was mainly the people and the environment. Working with Fred and Jonathan Kelly at Famous London Recording Studios really felt like a team effort. Almost like they were part of TuskHead too.
What was special is that it felt like we had been playing together for years, even though it was the first time we really sat down and made music together. There was a natural trust in the room, and that brings out something different in you.
The Smoky Mountains definitely left their mark on me too. I had visited that area several times before settling down in Knoxville to record, and I think a bit of that Appalachian history and culture found its way into my own Dutchicana way of doing things.”
❝ “There was a natural trust in the room, and that brings out something different in you.” ❞
05 Songs That Have To Feel True
There’s something very raw and unpolished in the way you write, in a good way. Your songs don’t feel manufactured. Do you consciously protect that honesty while the project keeps growing?
“First of all, thank you. That’s a big compliment right there.
And yeah, in a way I think I do consciously protect that honesty. I write from my own experiences and feelings, even when I’m writing about something I haven’t lived through myself, but maybe saw friends or family go through. It still has to come from a real place.
I like to keep things honest. And honestly, if I write something down and it feels too far removed from who I am, I’ll usually just throw it away and start over. I don’t really see the point in forcing a song that doesn’t feel true.”
06 The Dream Beyond The Dream
Earlier interviews focused a lot on the dream of going to America and recording there. Now that you’ve actually lived part of that dream, what does success look like to you today?
“I think success, to me, is being able to do the thing you love and actually connect with people through it.
Going to America and recording there was obviously a big dream, and I’m proud that I got to do that. But I don’t think success is just one big moment you’re chasing. It’s also talking to people after shows and hearing that the songs actually mean something to them.
And honestly, some of my best friends are people I met while being on the road in the States. If that ain’t success, I don’t know what is.”
07 Between The Netherlands And Nashville
Your music carries both European melancholy and Southern Americana warmth. Do you ever feel caught between two worlds creatively or personally?
“Not at all, actually. To me it feels more like a healthy mix of being influenced by the music I love, without trying to imitate it. I’m not trying to pretend I’m from the South. I’m just taking the things that move me and filtering them through who I am and where I’m from.
On a personal level, I’m probably one of the few people walking around the Netherlands in a cowboy hat, western shirts and boots every day. You definitely get some weird looks every now and then, but honestly, dressing like that makes me feel more like myself than I ever did before.
So I don’t really feel caught between two worlds. It feels more like those worlds came together in a way that makes sense to me. I guess there’s just a very thin line between Patrick privately and TuskHead.”
❝ “I’m just taking the things that move me and filtering them through who I am and where I’m from.” ❞
08 Out Of My Mind
Songs like Out Of My Mind feel heavy emotionally, while other moments on the EP seem to search for peace or acceptance. Did making this record help you process certain things in your own life?
“Oh yeah, for sure. A lot of it comes from struggles I’ve been through, or am still going through.
I wouldn’t say everything has been “processed”, so to speak. Some things are still very much there. But making the record did help me find a bit more peace with it, and accept that some of these struggles are part of me, at least for now.
Speaking up about it also makes me feel less alone. And I think that’s something other people can relate to as well. Sometimes I jokingly say, “Do you even listen to my songs?” when people ask me how I’m doing, haha. You can usually tell by what I’m singing the loudest.”
09 Where The Songs Hit Hardest
You’ve played intimate listening rooms as well as bigger festival stages in both Europe and the U.S. Where do TuskHead songs hit the hardest for you personally?
“For me, intimate listening rooms hit the hardest any day.
I do love playing bigger stages and festivals, of course. There’s a certain energy there that’s hard to beat. But with my songs, I think they really come alive when people are actually listening. When there’s room to tell the stories behind them, talk about life a little, and really feel that raw connection with the crowd.
That’s where I feel like the songs have the most impact. Not because it’s bigger or louder, but because it’s more honest.”
10 I’m Here To Stay
With the new EP about to arrive, what do you hope people understand about TuskHead now that they maybe wouldn’t have understood a few years ago?
“I hope people understand that I’m doing this my way. Opening the record with “Dutchicana” kind of proves that, I think. The line “I’ll play and write my songs from my rights and wrongs” sums up a lot of what TuskHead is about. It’s honest, it’s stubborn, and it’s not really trying to fit neatly into anyone else’s box.
I also think that when you start gaining more traction as an artist, you naturally start getting more opinions thrown at you too. Some good, some not so good. And with this record, I like that there’s a bit of a “I’m here to stay, and if you don’t like it, that’s fine” attitude in there.
But besides that, I also hope people hear how honest I’m trying to be about mental health. I know how hard it can get, and how low you can feel. That’s not something I want to hide from. If anything, I think I’ll probably speak up about men’s mental health louder and louder with every record.”