It’s not really an industry secret that some of the very best songwriters are the most patient ones, the ones who soak up a ton of pre-existing stuff before ever playing their first note. And needless to say, if you’re close to the Live Music Capital of the World, you and your creative sponge are in pretty good shape.

It wasn’t all that long ago that Alex Gaw became a father in his mid-30s, settled down a stone’s throw away in Round Rock, and moved up from guitar and ukulele lessons to fulfilling, honest songwriting. On top of inspirational Austin mainstays like Bob Schneider and Matt the Electrician, Gaw’s biggest influences include Metric, Fleet Foxes, jazz, and Joy Division.

Gaw seems especially struck by that final act, considering the original title of his sophomore single explicitly name-dropped Joy Division’s infamously tortured frontman. But even after just one spin of “Something Behind”, its indie-folk eclecticism (which features Wilson Marks on electric guitar and loops), fine-tuned dynamics, and lyric-less refrains will leave you agog to hear more from Alex Gaw, wherever his next muse may lie.