When I got together with Boy Eats Drum Machine’s Jonny Ragel for some coffee ‘n’ eggs last week, we talked about a lot of stuff: breakfast sandwiches, hugging techniques (he’s an avid supporter of the “Front Hug”), fireworks, Michael Jackson and more.

We also chatted a great deal about BEDM’s upcoming, sophomore release, Two Ghosts (out Tuesday, July 17). Ragel described it as a three-part sci-fi narrative detailing the journey of a man who decides to “separate from himself from a life that’s unfulfilling.” He went on to say that the story of Two Ghosts aims to explore the “possibility for the world to be at peace” through the eyes of a narrator who embarks on a quest after realizing that he’s only “contributing to destruction.” (Read more about it here.)

Though the story ends somewhat sadly, Ragel said, “To me, it’s hopeful.” He admitted that it’s “really sad” and that the narrator’s “optimism deteriorates,” but Ragel said hope prevails because “he’d do it all over again. It becomes more about the process–the journey itself.” And the album’s first track, “3000 Flares,” is the first step in that journey. Check it out: