features - PAGE 36

Divided Heaven – “Clean Sheets” (Song Premiere)

Divided Heaven
Adam Grundy

Today I’m excited to bring everyone the latest single from Divided Heaven, a cover of a Descendents classic, “Clean Sheets.” The single features a collaboration from Matze Rossi, and highlights Divided Heaven’s dedication to their punk roots as well as moving the needle in the artistic development. Lead vocalist, Jeff Berman, shared this about the cover song:

I heard Bill Stevenson say that he wrote ‘Clean Sheets’ in one swoop. It just came to him. About ten years ago, I was working on a riff that sounded too familiar; took me a moment but I soon discovered it was ‘Clean Sheets.’ The lyrics immediately came to me and it just felt right. My favorite Descendents song, ‘Clean Sheets,’ beautifully translates to the acoustic guitar. Add a pinch of tenderness and the incredible, incomparable, Matze Rossi, and this classic punk song resonates in a new beautiful darkness. Much love to Bill for writing it, Stephen for being my favorite guitar player, and to all that give it a listen.

Divided Heaven’s latest LP, Oblivion, is out now via A-F Records here.

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Tacos! – “Kick Rocks” (Song Premiere)

Tacos!
Adam Grundy

Today is a great day to share the new single from Seattle-based metal/punk trio, Tacos!, called “Kick Rocks.” Band members Lupe Flores, Donovan Stewart, and Hozoji Matheson-Margullis catch lightning in a bottle on this politically-charged song that transcends genre lines. Donovan Stewart shared:

This is by far one of the hardest hitting songs, out of the gate on this record. One of the first songs we co-wrote with the addition of Hozoji in Lupe’s cave of a basement in Ballard. Expressively charged by all the things happening at the time but none more hard to swallow than the prevailing racial injustice happening around the nation. Often shielded and in a false sense of security, our area in the Northwest wasn’t without its own problems. Coupling this with the insane unknowing day to day activities that the pandemic presented us, it was easy to let loose a barrage of lyrics and hammering riffs. Jam your whole fist down your venom spitting throat so you can vomit up all those demons you’ve been forced to swallow.

The single comes from the band’s forthcoming LP, 3, that will be released on August 4th via Nadine Records.

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POSTDATA – “Mine The Sea” (Video Premiere)

Postdata
Adam Grundy

Today I’m excited to bring everyone the latest single and music video from POSTDATA, called “Mine The Sea.” POSTDATA is the solo project of Wintersleep lead singer and songwriter Paul Murphy, and he’s onto something great on his first single from the upcoming LP Run Wild, that releases via Paper Bag Records on September 22nd. Murphy shared, “‘Mine The Sea’ is the idea of digging deeper into yourself to find who you are and where you want to go. It’s about the search…but also about letting go of habitual ways and allowing yourself to being open to possibility.” The video was directed by Griffin O’Toole, and I was also able to catch up with Paul Murphy for some insight on the latest single below.

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Calmgrove – “True Color” (Album Stream)

Calmgrove
Adam Grundy

Today I’m thrilled to bring everyone an early listen to the new EP from LA pop-punk band, Calmgrove, called True Color. On this electric set of songs, Calmgrove channel their love for big pop hooks paired with alternative rock elements in a crowd-pleasing package. The band shared, “We’re so excited to be premiering our EP True Color with Chorus.FM. True Color is several years in the making and we feel like it’s the best collection of music that we have put out. The main things that make up the Calmgrove sound, like palm-muted riffs, catchy vocals, and energetic drums are still present, but we pushed ourselves creatively with these songs. These songs are meant to be played loud, so go for a drive and blast it with the windows down. We hope you enjoy it and we’ll see you at a show this summer!” If you’re enjoying the EP, you can purchase it wherever you stream your music on June 16th.

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Animal Sun – “Wolves” (Song Premiere)

Animal Sun
Adam Grundy

Today, Los Angeles alt rockers Animal Sun have released a fiery, animated visual for their new single, “Wolves.” The track, which features driving guitars and impassioned lyrics, comes as the band begins to tease an upcoming EP this summer. Sara Blake (vocalist) shared, “You are given two choices in this life. Either run with the pack or rebel and be thrown to the wolves. This song delves deep into the question, is it better to be a trailblazer?” Emerging alternative rock band Animal Sun is highly driven and always focused on creating new content with edgy elements like that of Palaye Royale, The Killers, and Muse. As they lead up to a new EP this summer, Animal Sun continues to push forward by releasing singles and hopes to be out on the road again soon.

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Hunter Daily – “Age of Depression” (Video Premiere)

Hunter Daily
Adam Grundy

Today I’m excited to bring everyone the latest single and music video from Hunter Daily, called “Age of Depression.” On this heartfelt track from Hunter Daily, she pens her all-too-real struggles with depression and still leaves room for optimism. The song comes from her recently released EP Die In LA, that showcases her incredible transformation as a name to watch in the indie pop realm. I was also able to catch up with Hunter for a brief interview below.

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Interview: Chris Payne

Chris Payne
Adam Grundy

About a month ago, I was able to chat with author Chris Payne about his new book titled Where Are Your Boys Tonight? The Oral History of Emo’s Mainstream Explosion 1999-2008. In this interview, I asked Chris about how the book came together through his unique interviews with artists and people that were around the scene, how he narrowed down the bands he wanted to target for this book, how he found his “writer’s voice” through this writing process, as well as some other questions about what Chris enjoys most about this genre of music. The book is available today at several retailers, with the full list located here.

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FRANKIIE – “Between Dreams” (Album Stream)

Frankiie
Adam Grundy

Today I’m thrilled to share with everyone the latest full-length record from indie pop band, FRANKIIE, called Between Dreams. The album was just released this past Friday, and it showcases the band’s growth that nails the vibe of dream-pop, and breathtaking vocal harmonies on their sophomore set. If you’re enjoying what you hear, please consider purchasing the LP here. I was also able to catch up with the band for a brief interview below.

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Interview: Scott Anderson of Finger Eleven

Finger Eleven
Adam Grundy

Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with the lead vocalist of rock band Finger Eleven, Scott Anderson, to discuss the upcoming release of the band’s first greatest hits compilation. In this interview, I asked Scott about how he and his bandmates narrowed down the song choices included in the set, the memories that stood out from each of the albums in their discography, as well as the best piece of advice he’s ever received in his career. The digital version of Greatest Hits will be released on June 16th, while you can also pre-order various vinyl variants here.

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Crystal Joilena – “The High Priestess” (Behind the Scenes)

Crystal Joilena
Adam Grundy

Today I’m thrilled to share with everyone a cool feature, from an artist named Crystal Joilena, that showcases some exclusive behind the scenes photos from her recently released single and video for “The High Priestess.” Joilena has provided some guest vocals on a track with Motionless In White, and her sound strays somewhere between the dark synths of PVRIS and Evanescence, paired with the pop prowess of The Weeknd.

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MIDNIGHTCHOIR – “Love Crimes” (Song Premiere)

MIDNIGHTCHOIR
Adam Grundy

Today I’m thrilled to bring everyone the latest single from NYC-electronic act, MIDNIGHTCHOIR, called “Love Crimes.” The band comes from the mind of Patrick Bobilin, who is a political activist and he shares his unique perspective on the world through great synths and eccentric guitars. The song comes from MIDNIGHTCHOIR’s upcoming LP, Loverboy Molotov, that releases everywhere music is sold on July 14th. I was also able to catch up with Bobilin for a brief interview below.

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Maeve and Quinn – “Jeweler’s Row” (Song Premiere)

Maeve and Quinn
Adam Grundy

Today I’m excited to bring everyone a great new single from indie pop-rock duo, Maeve & Quinn, called “Jeweler’s Row.” With a sound that fits somewhere in the same realm as Maggie Rogers, Snail Mail, and Soccer Mommy, this duo makes breathtaking vocal hooks and harmonies look effortless. The song comes from the band’s forthcoming LP, Another Door, that releases on September 8th. I was also able to catch up with this talented artist for a brief interview below.

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Interview: Arrows In Action

Arrows in Action
Adam Grundy

This past week I was able to hop on a Zoom call with indie pop-rock band, Arrows In Action, to discuss their great new album called Built To Last. Arrows In Action is singer/guitarist Victor Viramontes-Pattison, guitarist Matt Fowler, and drummer Jesse Frimmel, and their unique circumstances that led to them playing music together only made them stronger as a unit. In this interview, I asked the band about what went into writing/recording Built To Last, the collaborative tracks found on the record, plus how they measure success in their musical career. Built To Last arrives this Friday, and pre-orders can be found here.

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