The first time Sam Ray nearly died was when he was just a kid. Thrown into a pool by someone who didn’t know he’d never been able to swim, he struggled and thrashed about for a bit, but eventually, he ran out of energy and sank. “It was a true acceptance, complete and total serenity,” he remembers. “Then I got pulled outta the pool and I was thrown back into real life.” That peace has stuck with him over the last few years, as he’s grappled with health issues, watched the world slowly die around him, and worked, intensely, on his first new music as Teen Suicide in over half a decade. In some ways, it’s the same sort of theme that's been on Ray’s mind since he first launched the ever-evolving project—which began with a series of no-fi punk songs recorded at home with friends. The world doesn’t matter, life is inherently painful, but you always find a way forward amidst the bleakness. For his part, at 31, he finally feels grown-up, and a little more self-assured—his new songs offer less of the desperate emotional thrashing of his youth. Read more on Last.fm.