Maher’s shock at how some of his own relationships turned out inspired the record. The songs “Bummer Summer,” “Exactly What I Thought You Were” and “Save Me,” for example, were written about an abusive relationship. “Abusers don’t think their victims will talk about the abuse, and I very much did,” he tells RANGE. 

“I’m a person that often needs to feel good to feel creative, so this was a tough one,” says Maher. “There was a lot of loss to be dealt with. You don’t want to make people’s death about yourself, and when it comes to betrayal, you can’t exactly name names. So you want to process it a bit before deciding to say something hurtful. I can’t help but be affected by this stuff; I’m so empathetic it’s crippling, so it’s about surviving it.”

With that statement, it’s clear that Maher has a lot to say on Fake Shark’s new album. Its explosive sound is a sonic representation of how he was feeling while writing each tune, and though it’s more rock-oriented in sound, the band continues to deliver the dancey grooves and catchy hooks they’re known for.