B-Side Guys

Some of the most affecting moments in music come from artists stepping outside their comfort zones. In “I Love You Anyway,” Eazy D. trades his punk and ska roots for a ukulele and a slice of vulnerability, creating an intimate live studio performance that feels both surprising and inevitable.

Recorded at Soul Haven Studios in Virginia Beach, this first of three acoustic tracks from Eazy D.’s vault demonstrates how stripping away the expected noise can reveal something essential. The former member of Jackmove and The G-Bombs brings his punk sensibility to folk arrangements, but instead of feeling like a novelty, the transition highlights the raw honesty that great punk and folk music share.

Aaron Lipp’s slide guitar work weaves through the recording with subtle precision, adding texture to the ukulele’s gentle persistence without overwhelming the song’s intimate core. The production, mixed by JonQuan, maintains the live feel of the performance while ensuring every nuance comes through clearly in the final mix.

The collaboration with Sierra Drive Sessions proves particularly inspired, as their approach to capturing live performances serves the material’s emotional authenticity. The recording manages to preserve both the immediacy of a live take and the clarity necessary for the song’s more delicate moments to land with full impact.

What’s particularly striking about “I Love You Anyway” is how the ukulele arrangement transforms punk’s characteristic directness into something more tender without losing its essential honesty. The instrument choice could have felt gimmicky in less capable hands, but Eazy D.’s commitment to the performance makes it feel like the only possible way this song could exist.

The live studio recording approach captures something that might have been lost in a more polished production. There’s an organic quality to the performance that serves the song’s emotional core, allowing listeners to feel like they’re discovering something personal rather than consuming a finished product.

The song’s title phrase carries different weight than it might in a punk context, with the gentle arrangement allowing space for both certainty and vulnerability in the delivery. This duality gives the track its unique emotional resonance, suggesting that sometimes the quietest declarations carry the most power.

While fans of Eazy D.’s more aggressive work might be surprised by this acoustic turn, “I Love You Anyway” suggests that great songwriting transcends genre conventions. Through careful arrangement and honest performance, he’s created something that honors both his punk roots and folk traditions while carving out its own distinct identity.

This first release from his acoustic sessions sets a promising precedent for the remaining two tracks to come. By allowing these songs room to breathe in new arrangements, Eazy D. demonstrates that sometimes the best way to honor your musical past is to risk something new.