LEWISTON, Maine — There have been countless tributes to those who lost their lives in the Lewiston mass shooting six months ago.
Singer-songwriter Scott Folsom, who grew up in the Lewiston-Auburn area, poured out his feelings about the tragedy in a poignant song released last month.
"When It Comes" is a passionate commentary on the senseless loss and the shattered illusion of safety in a Maine city and beyond. The song is available worldwide on all major streaming services.
It's music that is giving a voice to a community still grappling with the tragedy and shattered sense of security.
Folsom, who grew up in Lewiston-Auburn, was a popular musician who recorded with Columbia Records in the late 1980s. The father and grandfather crafted lyrics reflecting his new perspective on mass shootings.
"It's very difficult when a mass shooting comes to 'your town,'" Folsom said. "Why don't you feel that way when it happens somewhere else?"
Lewiston filmmaker Sarah Violette directed the video for the song, which includes powerful images taken in February depicting landmarks and signs of hope where residents had just spent the holidays without loved ones lost in the shooting. She wanted the video to reflect that Lewiston is coping with a new reality.
"Who survived, who didn't survive, who's here, who is not here?" Violette said. "What energy are we going to be dealing with now? Because everything has shifted, there's no way you can go back."
Folsom owns Schooner Landing Restaurant and Marina, a seafood restaurant on the waterfront in downtown Damariscotta. He recently started making music again after taking years off, recording his new song with the Boneheads at their studio in Hallowell. Folsom was emotional sharing the drummer's initial reaction to the music.
"I like the song, Scott, but I am sorry you had to write it," Folsom recalled, holding back tears.
The song also addresses ending gun violence.
"Somehow, someway we have to figure it out a little better than what we are doing," Folsom said.