Browsing Tag

Folk Punk

Folk meets prog-punk in Whate’s orchestrally cinematic composition By Torchietto

Posted on 18 November 2024

Where fire meets finesse, whate’s composition ‘By Torchietto’ ignites a fervent blaze that’s set to endure. At its core, the UK-based progressive alt-punk outfit harnesses a storm of eclectic influences, melding the raw energy of punk with the intricate layers of orchestral folk and progressive music. From the stings of violins reminiscent of classical giants like Hans Zimmer and Ennio Morricone to riotous chords, the band’s standout single, ‘By Torchietto’, is an incendiary declaration.

Founded in Italy by Dave Dreamer—lead singer, guitarist, composer, and violinist—whate crafts sound-transcending spectacles. With each member’s diverse background, ranging from blues to prog rock, the band forges a style baptised as “progressive punk”. This sophisticated, new sound is a cocktail of revolutionary ideas, blending Dreamer’s love for classical with punk’s unapologetic rebellion.

‘By Torchietto’ itself is a profound alchemy, balancing tender orchestration against striking, fiery energy, pulling listeners into a cinematic sweep of emotion and rhythm. Much like the rest of the artist’s discography, the single embodies the band’s unflinchingly urgent cry for societal transformation and personal awakening, all while demonstrating their ability to channel their inner tumult into a coherent call to action.

whate’s trajectory, from their debut ‘Can’t Breathe Anymore’ to their current partnership with Rexius Records, signifies a band soaring on their own terms. With ‘By Torchietto’, whate stands poised on a pedestal of their own crafting, unlikely to ever cascade from the pinnacle they’ve reached.

By Torchietto was officially released on November 8th and is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Fuar became the airwaves’ new favourite folk-punk raconteur with ‘Ladies Night’

Posted on 25 September 2024

In his latest single, Ladies Night, Belfast’s Fuar arrived with the swagger of a seasoned raconteur and the fervour of a folk-punk revolution, stirring the still airwaves into a riotous frenzy. Here is a single that marries the cheeky charm of Irish folk with the electric buzz of college radio rock, a sound nostalgically nodding to R.E.M.’s sticky-sweet hooks yet boldly staking its own claim in the folk domain.

Fuar melded the quintessential tones of traditional acoustic folk instrumentation with punk’s refusal to harmonise with convention, creating an atmosphere thick with euphoria. The charismatically magnetic vocals turn every syllable in the lyricism into a call to arms for those weary of the beige and the mundane in the folk scene.

The singer-songwriter may have only started to write his legacy with his recorded material, but if Ladies Night is anything to go by, his saga will be etched into the annals of folk before long. Having leapt into the recording scene in 2024, he’s quickly amassed a following enchanted by his panorama-painting lyricism and his earmilk-pouring progressions. With over 100 spins spanning from Amazing Radio to Radio New York, and echoes of acclaim reverberating through the blogosphere, Fuar has ensured his journey isn’t just one to watch—it’s one to be part of.

Ladies Night was officially released on September 10th and is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chords of Candour: Dylan Forshner on Crafting ‘Under Control’

Posted on 1 September 2024

 In an exclusive interview, Dylan Forshner discussed his latest single, “Under Control,” a poignant fusion of raw emotion and sonic exploration. Forshner, a Toronto-based artist known for his genre-defying approach, shares the intimate journey behind the creation of this track, his first and an intrinsically personal venture. The single unravels as a narrative of battling mental health challenges and as an emblem of hopeful resilience.

Through his narrative, Dylan engages with themes of emotional vulnerability and the cathartic power of music, which resonates strongly with his listeners. As he reflects on his influences and the therapeutic aspects of his songwriting, the interview uncovers the layers of an artist who is not afraid to expose his heart through his melodies.

This conversation is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the intersections of personal struggle and artistic expression, offering insights into Dylan’s creative process and his optimistic outlook amidst life’s tumultuous rhythms.

Dylan Forshner, thank you for sitting down with us to discuss your latest riot of candour, Under Control, what’s the story behind the single? 

Under Control is a story of me experiencing struggles with ups and downs in my mental health but holding out optimism that I have it “under control” this time. This was my first writing effort back in May 2023 and has been a favorite of a lot of people who have heard my originals or seen me perform, including my mom.

Did you naturally reach the epitome of genre fluidity with Under Control or was it a more conscious effort to pull elements in from across the sonic spectrum? 

This being the first song I wrote I didn’t have much intention to have it sound like anything in particular, I was just happy anything came out of me creatively. But looking back now I can see where my influences shine through. The vocal style especially in the chorus with the “ouu’s” is derived from my love of Australian surf bands such as Skeggs and Hockey Dad. With the guitar, and percussive elements I was inspired by Canadian bands Born Ruffians and Peach Pit.

You’ve got the sticky-sweet rugged rogue erraticism down to a fine art in the release, how does your artistic execution of the single amplify the emotional underpinnings? 

Under Control does a great job of portraying the emotions I was feeling at the time of writing. The lyrical content is heavy and open about difficult emotions I was going through but the tone of the song gives an uplifting and optimistic feel that things will get better.

Have you always worn your heart on your sleeve in your music?

The majority of my music is inspired by personal experience and emotion and I treat it as a form of therapy. To me putting it into words and sharing it openly helps me process the emotions I’m feeling.

What do you hope your listeners take from the release? 

I hope listeners can relate to the emotional openness of Under Control and can feel a bit more comfortable speaking openly about their struggles with mental health or whatever else they might be going through. 

When are you most inspired to write? 

I tend to be most inspired late at night before bed. I find my mind is the most clear at that time and I can more easily translate my emotions into lyrics, chord progressions or melody. 

What is your experience of the Toronto indie scene? 

The Toronto Indie scene for me has been where I learned to be a musician. Starting out seeing a variety of rock acts in the scene I then started going to open mics frequently to hone my own skills before eventually starting to write my own originals. I take a lot of inspiration from the diverse and immensely talented artists in the scene. The pocket of the scene that I’ve been lucky enough to be connected to has always been extremely supportive of one another and encouraging to newer musicians such as myself.

What’s next for Dylan Forshner?

I have another single coming titled “It’ll Be A Great Day” which will be out roughly around mid-September. There are also three other songs that are near completion that I hope to release by the end of this year or early next to complete a five-song EP titled “Hopeless Optimism”.

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Stream Under Control on all major platforms via this link.

Follow Dylan Forshner on Instagram and Facebook.

 

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Goldfish24 pioneered a new wave of hyper-popped punk with ‘The Pit of My Life’

Posted on 20 August 2024

Goldfish24’s sonic riot of innovative expression, The Pit of My Life, starts with a raw, rugged, and intimate folk-punk overture before the melodicism sinks into a genre-fluid production that toys with the aesthetics of trap and hyperpop to animate an infectious earworm which sets the stage for the artist to emerge as one of the fiercest punk pioneers of his generation.

While the emotions in the single may weigh heavy, there isn’t an inch of space in the evocative riptide of a release for self-pity. Instead, the track is the epitome of running with your idiosyncrasies, embracing the chaos of the world, and finding resilience through irreverently witty tongue-in-cheek humour.

The Pit of My Life is the second chapter in the story Goldfish24 is narrating with his upcoming project, ERRORS IN COMMUNICATION. The single takes the first step in picking yourself up and coming to terms with the fact that life will always suck sometimes, and that’s okay. The mantra reverberates through the motifs as much as the lyricality, attesting to Goldfish24’s ability to fully visualise his psyche through sound. Brace yourself for the visceral vindication.

The Pit of My Life was officially released on August 16; stream the single on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Explore the cosmos with the indie folk-punk Starchild, Charlie Diamond, and his latest single, Magnetic Love Atomic Romance

Posted on 29 June 2024

Charlie Diamond, the self-professed alien on Earth, has shifted sonic form to transmit his latest single, Magnetic Love Atomic Romance.

The rugged and raw folk elements from his previous releases are enmeshed within the release which blends the anthemically augmented aura and massive vocal hooks of The Courteeners with the subversive folk-punk edge of The Violent Femmes. The spacey Bowie-esque middle-eight adds another dynamic to the expansive release. The juxtaposition of the ornate violin strings and cosmic textures allows you to get lost in transmission as you’re prised away from the grip of gravity.

Rather than diminishing the raucous high energy of the release, which signifies that Charlie Diamond is stridently coming into his own, the gritty DIY aesthetic of Magnetic Love Atomic Romance immerses you deeper into the expressively exhilarant release which sees the singer-songwriter stridently wearing his heart on his guitar strings.

If the unfiltered amorous candour of Neutral Milk Hotel never fails to evoke affectionate emotions, prepare to fill your soul with Magnetic Love Atomic Romance which attests to love’s ability to abstract monotony from our mortal coil and liberate us into a higher form of consciousness.

The official music video for Magnetic Love Atomic Romance will premiere on YouTube on June 29th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bad Friends With Black Cats Let the Cat out of the Bag in an Exclusive A&R Factory Interview

Posted on 11 May 2024

Ahead of their eagerly anticipated EP, I WANT TO MOVE, Bad Friends With Black Cats shared insights into their evolving sound. From acoustic beginnings to a dynamic full-band experience, the group delves into how they’ve layered darker, more vulnerable lyrics with robust energy, underpinned by acoustic rhythms. The lead single, “OKAY, BYE,” encapsulates key personal milestones, setting the tone for the EP’s raw, candid vibe inspired by influencers like PUP and The Front Bottoms. This conversation invites listeners to peer deeper into the essence of their music, promising an intimate connection forged through shared struggles and high-energy anthems.

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Bad Friends With Black Cats, thanks for the opportunity to sit down with you ahead of the release of your EP, I WANT TO MOVE. Can you walk us through the journey of your sound evolution leading up to this EP? What elements did you experiment with or push to the forefront this time around?

Well up until this EP, everything released had only been acoustic demos. So the biggest step we took was definitely incorporating the full band sound while still maintaining an acoustic rhythm guitar driving it. Marcelo couldn’t have written better drums to the tracks and was able to always push the energy and keep attention on the song. The lyrics continue to get darker and more vulnerable while keeping a sense of relatability, leaning on heavy influences from bands like PUP and The Front Bottoms.

What’s the story behind the lead single of the EP? How does it encapsulate the essence of the entire project?

“OKAY, BYE” is a song about meeting my partner, Melissa, in Ottawa back in 2017. It describes several aspects of our lives over the first 2 years of our relationship. It touches on my state before meeting her, my anxieties of living in a new city, and the struggle of finding a place to live. It is literally about the stage of my life where I found the music that would go on to influence this entire project (The Front Bottoms, Modern Baseball, PUP) and for that reason I think it’s the perfect introduction to the new era of Bad Friends With Black Cats.

What lies behind your motivation to deliver raw and candid music?

It’s what I’ve always connected with and listened to personally. I’ve always gravitated to the lyrics and meaning of a song and really loved when it was vulnerable and authentic. Bands like PUP, who deliver such high energy and emotion despite yelling about everything they hate, have always hit home for me and have been my preference; it only makes sense that would bleed over into my writing and what I want to make.

Which artists are the most influential on your sound, and where else do you pull inspiration from?

The biggest influences on our sound are bands like PUP, The Front Bottoms, Jeff Rosenstock and Modern Baseball. However, I have gone through so many phases of my life listening to different styles, and I believe they all play their own part on influencing our music. (Green Day, MCR, Avenged Sevenfold, Mumford and Sons, Aesop Rock)

Growing up, Blink 182 was also a huge influence on both Marcelo and I. You can really hear Travis Barkers influence on the drumming as well as the idea of not taking ourselves to seriously with the lyrics.

How do you hope the EP will resonate with your audience or shift listener perceptions about your music?

I really just hope listeners find the struggles in daily life relatable and worth yelling with us about. I think we touch on a variety of very relatable insecurities while delivering high-energy tunes that people can enjoy.

How do personal experiences and emotions feed into your songwriting and music production?

Paul: That’s really the driving force of our music. Our music starts and ends with the struggles we face every day. It’s the reason I pick up the guitar and start writing. Personal experiences and emotions are what sparks creativity, at least for my personally.

We’d love to know the story behind your endearingly unique artist name, and a little bit of the band’s history and inner workings.  

I originally started this band with a high school friend, Connor Ratayczak. After going 5+ years of barely communicating and being flakey, we reunited to try and start a band. We each had black cats and thought the idea of being “bad friends” had a ring to it. I think it really fits the “goofy punk” band name style and fits the brand very. My black cat, Shady, is also my best friend (concerning, I know) and having her incorporated somehow makes me happy. I got Shady at the beginning of the toughest phase of my life, so she’s been through it all too!

Looking beyond this EP, how do you see your music evolving in the future?

It’s hard to say. Obviously we’ll strive to improve our sound and quality and take another step forward in the next recording venture. But in terms of style and inspiration, I don’t think we know. We have a ton of songs we’re sitting on that fit this style that we’re so excited to start recording, but it’s hard to predict what we’ll write next. I’ll continue to listen to amazing artists that inspire me to create.

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Listen to Bad Friends With Black Cats on Spotify.

Follow the band on Facebook and Instagram.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Winter whispered through Sang Lian Uk’s folk-punk single, When Snowflakes Fall

Posted on 5 February 2024

In the heart of winter’s embrace, Sang Lian Uk penned ‘When Snowflakes Fall‘, a lo-fi folk-punk anthem that resonates with the soulful depth of a winter’s tale. This single, reminiscent of the raw, unfiltered essence found in the works of Neutral Milk Hotel, is a poignant reflection on the season’s stark beauty and the introspective journey it invites.

When Snowflakes Fall is a narrative woven from the threads of his life, a stream of consciousness that captures the essence of winter’s dual nature – its bitter cold and its mesmerising beauty. The song’s structure mirrors the ebb and flow of thought, with each verse building on the last, culminating in a cathartic release of pent-up emotions.

Sang Lian Uk, who began his musical journey in the echoes of gospel songs and church choirs, has evolved into a raconteur of candour, moving far away from his childhood immersion in music, guided by the distinctiveness within his voice, he’s come into his expressive own.

When Snowflakes Fall hit the airwaves on January 25; stream the single on SoundCloud.  

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Jesters borrowed from Pavement in their reinvention of the 90s DIY sound in ‘Magnet’

Posted on 31 December 2023

The standout single, Magnet, from The Jesters may have been released in the Summer of 2023, but it is the perfect hit to place on your playlists as we move into the new year with the underpinning themes of pining for personal reinvention that, on some level, we all know we’ll never achieve because the force of our habits is far too strong to resist.

The grungy pop-punk pierced aura of the track, which finds the middle ground between Fidlar, Pavement and Dinosaur Jr, was the perfect atmosphere to pour the self-disdain into to ensure it rings with relatable and rogue down-and-out blues. Veering away from self-pity and right into the inner trappings of the human condition that compels us to tread the hamster wheel as creatures of idiosyncratic convention enabled Magnet to unravel as every antihero’s feel-good hit.

When it comes to reinventing the DIY sounds of the ’80s and ’90s, few do it better than the Philadelphia four-piece, whose sound falls under the new wave retro alt-folk punk banner while spilling out into other nostalgic avenues to lead you to the sounds you adore via a route never taken before.

Magnet is available to stream with the rest of The Jesters’ three-track release, Mental Model, on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Glorious Rabbits conjured the sound and salvation of ‘Freedom’ in their latest folk-punk hit.

Posted on 19 December 2023

The Glorious Rabbits‘ latest folk single, Freedom, is a vibrant testament to the joy and liberation that music can bring. This track is not just a collection of melodies and lyrics; it’s an embodiment of freedom itself, capturing the essence of what it means to be unshackled from life’s constraints.

From the first note, Freedom is an explosion of euphoria. The Glorious Rabbits have managed to encapsulate the raucous joy of being in a room full of friends, the warmth of shared experiences, and the exhilaration of letting go. The track is an invitation to break free from whatever binds you, whether you’re surrounded by others or on your own. It’s a song that insists on being felt, not just heard.

The ensemble’s skill is evident in every aspect of the song. The musicians, hailing from diverse backgrounds, bring a richness and authenticity to the track that is palpable. Their chemistry, forged from years of friendship since the 7th grade, shines through in the seamless way they play together. The process of writing individually and then coming together to breathe life into their songs in a top-grade studio adds a unique and heartfelt quality to their music.

Fans of The Pogues, Flogging Molly, and Dropkick Murphys will find a familiar joy in Freedom. Yet, The Glorious Rabbits are not just imitators; they are innovators in their own right. Their music carries the torch of upbeat folk music, lighting the way for a new generation of listeners. Taken from their seminal album, The Year of the Rabbits, it is an exceptional introduction to a superlative outfit which has exactly what it takes to deliver the rapture society is so desperately crying out for.

Stream Freedom on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Debbie Christ is scintillatingly affecting in her advocacy of authenticity and resilience in We Carry On

Posted on 18 December 2023

Taken from her I’ve Got Time / We Carry On double A-side single, We Carry On by Debbie Christ is a scintillatingly affecting extension of the Shoegaze genre, which spills all the reverb and chorus effects your heart could possibly desire while adding new arcane layers to the intricate tapestry of a production that will consume you down to the last atom of your being as you’re absorbed in the experimentalism.

The defiance of categorisation within the synthesis of femme garage rock, folk, punk and indie not only invites you into a dream-like aural experience but compels you to embrace your own authenticity and walk your unique path, away from the shame of exhibiting your eccentricities.

After overcoming loss, addiction, cancer, and rebelling against her evangelical upbringing, I can’t think of a better voice to help you chart your own path with resilience than Debbie Christ. She’s an icon, not for all she’s endured, but for her determination to emancipate others from their suffering and embolden them.

Towards the outro, We Carry On moves away from the Angel Olsen-reminiscent choral accordance to deliver rancour in the same vein as Big Thief and Lucy Dacus around the Grandaddy-esque synths that add yet another dynamic to the release that is far too infectious to encounter just once. If there’s any justice left in the music industry, Debbie Christ will be one of the biggest names in indie in 2024.

We Carry On is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast