New Jersey Singer Songwriter Archives

Matt Baker wrapped the wonder of wanderlust up in his latest Americana-tinged indie alt-country panorama, Planes, Trains & Cars

Posted on 20 October 2024

For his latest seminal release, Planes, Trains & Cars, the singer-songwriter and endlessly adept multi-instrumentalist Matt Baker twanged hints of honkytonk Americana into an indie alt-country pop romanticised installation of wanderlust. As the sonic equivalent of Jack Kerouac, the New Jersey-hailing artist sonically visualised the irreplicable feeling of hitting the road and clocking up the miles to bring you closer to the person in the passenger seat.

Accompanied by the music video, the cinematic road trip playlist staple finessed the feel-good factor, acting as a homage to Baker’s stripes as an audio engineer and visual artist and his dedication to amplifying the thematic resonance in everything he touches. Planes, Trains & Cars is just one of the tracks he’s turned to gold with his ability to paint panoramic vignettes with his evocatively timbered, expansively intimate vocal lines.

Stream the official music video for Planes, Trains & Cars on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Marc Ambrosia rivalled Against Me in his queer pop-punk anthem, We Are Who We Are

Posted on 21 August 2024

For anyone whose true identities are continuously obscured by lenses of prejudice and misconception, Marc Ambrosia’s riff-raw pop-punk anthem, We Are Who We Are, is the definitive cure.

With an augmented-with-frenetic-exhilaration chorus and endless mantras to adopt for authentic empowerment, it is impossible to resist the intoxicating energy in the release which proves that Marc Ambrosia is just as adept at producing high-octane rock hits as he is when it comes to producing perennial pop earworms. And yet, his versatility is only the start of his expansive cross-over appeal which can easily establish the New Jersey singer-songwriter as one of the most essential queer artists of his generation.

Ambrosia’s forthcoming album, Gay & Proud, is shaping up to be as iconic as Against Me!’s Transgender Dysphoria Blues LP. The same visceral punk as fuck energy runs within the liberatingly protestive anthem which attests to how embracing your autonomy and flying your own flag is one of the most revolutionary acts a human is capable of.

In his own words, Marc Ambrosia iterated “It’s a song about individuality and nonconformity. People like to make assumptions about other people’s identities and they’re usually wrong.”

We Are Who We Are was officially released on August 16; stream the single on SoundCloud and visit Marc Ambrosia’s official website for more information on his upcoming album which is due to drop on August 30.

Review by Amelia Vandergast