Julia Steiner sings about estrangement with her band Ratboys on the album 'Singin' To An Empty Chair.' The empty chair symbolizes a close loved one who could not be present for personal reasons. Steiner used an empty-chair exercise from her therapist to begin a conversation she was not ready to have in person. The method helped her organize memories and perspectives on a complicated relationship. The album's climax is the song 'Just Want You To Know The Truth.' Writing provides Steiner with clarity about identity, confidence to express herself, and a songwriting outlet to process emotions.
"So this empty chair that I was singing to is meant to represent a close loved one who couldn't be there for any host of personal reasons. But for me, it was a way to have a conversation that I wasn't quite ready to have in real life and kind of get started figuring out what I wanted to say and how I feel."
"And as you indicated, you're not kind of ready to talk yet or reconcile but want to. What does writing do to that process? STEINER: I think, for me, writing is a way to sort of clarify who I am. It gives me the confidence to know what I want to say and express myself. And specifically, for whatever reason, songwriting has been that outlet for me."
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