Singer-Songwriter Opeongo Shares Somber Single “Ceiling Rats”

Opeongo is the moniker of Keegan Trumpour and an ever-rotating cast of musicians. Opeongo has released two full length albums (2019’s Miasma and 2021’s we’ll all go with the will-o’-the-wisp); fall 2024’s Eventual Mt. Lee marks their third release, with a fourth underway in the near future.

Like everything you’ll hear on Eventual Mt. Lee, the mournful single, “Ceiling Rats,” was inspired by the passing of Keegan’s best friend, Liam Steffler; inspired, too, by the beautiful, albeit short, existence he blessed those around him with. At the time of his passing, they were living together in a basement unit. There was a problem with rats or mice or rodents of some sort in the ceiling in between their unit and the folks on the main floor.

After Liam passed, Keegan was sorting through all of his stuff in the apartment, and he liked to imagine that it was his late pal’s ghost that he was hearing, rather than a bunch of rats roaming around. Not too great at humor amidst intense grief, the song’s title is Keegan’s self-described “sad attempt” at such.