Kyle Mont Cunningham’s new song “Ibuprofen” has a prescription for a broken heart. The Idaho-based singer-songwriter delivers this tale of betrayal with a sardonic grin. Cunningham’s gritty voice gives the song’s humor an extra push, and his world-weary performance sells it: this is a guy who’s seen it all before, and he’ll almost certainly get back on his feet sooner rather than later.
“I was living with a woman and I was under the impression there was some two-timing going on while I was out on the road,” he explains. “Now, this girl never drank beer. She couldn’t stand the taste of it. Before I set out for another run, I walked down to the 7-11 and got some Coors stubbies for when I got back from LA. I left and cranked up the rig, hauled the junk to San Bernardino, slept in the Wal-Mart lot off I-215, and then turned around back to home.”
Unfortunately, the fridge told a story Cunningham didn’t want to hear.
“I got back home and wouldn’t you know it — there were only 5 beers left in the pack. I asked her if she’d all the sudden developed a taste for Coors—the look on her face told me all I needed to know.”
Cunningham took on another run, just to get out of the house: 40 tons of dog food to South Carolina. On the road, the song’s refrain sprang to mind:
“I don’t need you to love me ‘cause I hate myself…”
Told with good humor and more than a touch of acid, “Ibuprofen” is a song for anyone who associates “Americana” with earthy songs sung in the back of tiny bars — hard-won truths and a bitter smile as a battle badge.
Kyle Mont Cunningham — Official, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Spotify
So much talent. Love it from start to finish