For Aesop Rock, the phrase 'I heard it's a mess there too' started out as a lyric, but it didn't take long for that line to get its hooks into him. It felt familiar, like a line he'd said a thousand times in recent years while checking in with friends across different cities, swapping stories about where each other are, and what's going on there. The more he sat with the phrase, the more it started to feel like the centre of something bigger. 'I Heard It's a Mess There Too' lives at the intersection of two personal urges for Aesop: the need to venture out and document your surroundings, and the desire to stay connected - especially when things feel uncertain.