John Deering just released “Gotta Get Away,” hitting the airwaves since June 27th, 2025. Deering’s been cooking right in his own basement, and you can feel that. This is a story straight from real life, served up with honest-to-goodness rock ‘n’ roll edge.
Deering’s the kind of artist who puts his whole heart into storytelling. When it came time to create “Gotta Get Away,” he transformed his basement into his personal creative headquarters once again. Sure, he’s the captain of this ship, but he knew when to call in the big guns. Enter Ryan Smith from Soul Asylum – yeah, that Ryan Smith – who jumped in to help Deering shape those raw ideas into something truly special. And holding it all together was the incredible Peter Anderson from Run Westy Run, whose drumming hits like thunder and drives this track forward with unstoppable energy. Anderson recorded his killer beats at Flowers Studio here in Minneapolis, bringing that professional polish to Deering’s homegrown sound.
The inspiration comes straight from the spleen-puncturing reality of the Ukraine War. Deering took that unimaginable pain of separation and made it something specific and haunting: a father playing with his young daughter one last time before she evacuates to safety, while he stays behind to fight. It’s a story that’s packed with love, desperation, and this rumbling rage that just builds and builds. Musically, Deering really captures that turmoil. He’s not afraid to experiment – you’ve got falsetto vocals, doubled vocal lines, and he uses his voice like it’s just another instrument in the mix. The whole thing creates this tense, ambiguous soundscape that nails the bedlam and uncertainty. Then boom – the song’s core just explodes. There’s this mid-section where the father’s fury at the enemy bursts out, and it’s like a blast cutting through all that surrounding tension.
“Gotta Get Away” really shows how much Deering’s grown as an artist. It’s way more than just a song – it’s this raw slab of empathetic rock. What drives this release is John Deering‘s genuine passion for the Ukrainian people – their courage, resilience, and how they’ve adapted. That’s what makes it hit so much harder than just entertainment. Get ready to feel it. This one hits hard.