a full trio, and was the one that took longest to complete. "Runaway", "Trust", "Ice Cold" and "Breakfast" came about during the band's first songwriting session together at an Airbnb cabin in Big Bear, California, and they continued to write in rented Airbnbs one week at a time in different climates and environments, such as deserts and by the ocean, until the album was finished in 2019. This was because they found that working at one of their houses "wasn't as productive" as in a secluded environment. The locations themselves inspired different songs, with faster songs being written in the heat and slower ones in a colder environment. The Airbnbs also forced the band to work within limitations. For example, some lodgings had rules forbidding an excess of noise on pain of being forced out of them, so the group consequently wrote without percussion parts; these constraints "inspired what the songs turned into." The last song to be written was "Pure Gold"; the band was initially unsure whether to include it on the record, but after being urged to finish it by their team, they were grouped with "one of [their] favorite producers" and the song "[turned] into ... one of [their] favorites of the album." Music and lyrics Now, Not Yet has been described as a pop album, although the band drew on a range of other musical influences during the songwriting process; Kramer and Johnson studied music at university with an emphasis on jazz, and elements of the genre would appear on the record, while Taylor focused on pop music and performance. The trio stated in an interview that "with all [their] backgrounds combined it creates a blend of thoughtful musical ideas that still have a wide audience focus." They added that music platforms and the prominence of playlists and music sharing also influenced the album's sonic direction, explaining that "it feels as if everyone is able to hear a more electric group of music, and [they] as a band try to create similar genre fluid moments in [their] music." Throughout the album, Half Alive explore themes surrounding faith and religion, specifically its impact on a person's well-being. Music journalists have noted that the band "wear their religion proudly," influencing both the musical and lyrical aspects of the record; the album includes a number of "gospel-like anthems" and the penultimate track "Breakfast" includes choral vocals, while the lyrics