Buried Utilities by Perry Owen Wright

Written and recorded as part of the 2026 RPM Challenge.

Two friends were going through challenging family situations in January 2026, and as I was thinking about them I made a note in my phone that said, "These days, nothing's made to last;" later that day I added, archly, "Except in the landfill." As the month of January grew increasingly bleak, I imagined the underlying infrastructure beneath and around us crumbling, and had the idea to write a batch of songs about the ways invisible municipal utilities touch the most intimate moments of our lives. Water, power, mail, sewer, even the depressing switch to standard time, form ubiquitous circulatory systems in which we experience every moment. It's a rich idea that deserves better treatment than one month of songwriting, but it's this album.

I haven't released any music since 2005, so I used the RPM Challenge as a permission structure to work fast and loose within the constraints of the challenge: write songs and record them quickly for one month, while still trying to be a good partner, parent, friend, coworker, grocery shopper. It's really hard, so use the shortest month. I wasn't precious about genre or tone, so there are some wild juxtapositions in here. I hope you'll receive them with grace, and reflect for a moment the next time you turn on a faucet or take out the trash.