Brooklyn-based songwriter Ian McFarland has shared ‘Leaving New York’, a new single about saying goodbye to a city, and to the version of yourself that existed there.

McFarland wrote the song after being laid off from his job at Sony’s independent distribution division. Around the same time, his wife also lost her job, and the two began seriously wondering whether they could afford to remain in New York.

“I’d go for long walks and pass all these places that meant something to us, coffee shops, bars, parks, and realize they were becoming memories before we’d even left,” McFarland says.

Eventually he realized the song wasn’t really about New York itself.

“At some point, I realized I wasn’t actually writing about New York. I was writing about a version of myself that would eventually be left behind. And whether it’s a city, a relationship, or a chapter of your life, I think everyone eventually discovers there’s a version of themselves they can’t go back to.”

The song was recorded live with McFarland on vocals and guitar, Jared Pease on drums and Rijk van Zanten on bass, before additional guitars and vocals were added. Pease mixed the track, while Max Grazier handled mastering.

There’s some early-2000s alternative rock in its ringing guitars and big chorus, but the heart of ‘Leaving New York’ is much simpler: that odd period when something hasn’t quite ended yet, but you already know you’ll miss it when it does.

Headline credit: Andrew Einhorn

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