EDEN caught my attention with his latest song, “take care”. It feels almost too elaborate to consume in one sitting. “Care” takes on several different parts; some ominous, some angry, some empowering. Listening to the rest of his latest album, vertigo, I couldn’t help but analyze the album title more and more.
“Vertigo: a sensation of whirling and loss of balance, associated particularly with looking down from a great height.” This definition couldn’t be more fitting for the album. Songs like, “start//end”, “icarius”, and “gold” feel like a bit of a push and pull; an inner monologue finally floating to the surface. Think of early The 1975 minus the rock elements (think 2012’s “Antichrist”). Vertigo is like staring at a painting you’re a little confused about but somehow you find it so beautiful that you can’t look away.
EDEN recently opened up to Pigeons and Planesabout his personal life and why he tends to keep himself under the radar. “I’ve always just done what I wanted to do…I see how some other artists use social media, and it’s just not for me. For a long time I didn’t even have my face on the internet because I just wanted it to be a music thing, not about me as a person…at one point I just updated my Twitter profile picture. I just decided to let go.”
In a time where social media can carry someone’s image to a whole new level, EDEN is about to blow up. Especially after the immensely creative release of vertigo.
Sure Sure’s self-titled album is nothing short of cool. Each song somehow makes you feel content and inspired. Taking vintage sounds and making them modern suit these California natives quite well. Start to finish, an album that will surely be on repeat in my house for quite a while. Here’s what the band had to say about the album, inspiration, and future plans!
1.) Opening song, “Giants” is such a fun and relatable tune. What inspired the lyrics?
“This song burst into existence during a Dungeons and Dragons session in which we were fighting a lot of giants (we are still on the same quest actually…). Mike started playing these really basic chords on a children’s acoustic guitar, and Chris started singing an off-the-cuff melody, and suddenly we were singing ‘Don’t let the water burn you baby…‘ together with our friends Scott and Chase and Hank. The lyrics sort of fell into place after that, taking the form of tongue-in-cheek yet sincere life advice. But the lyrics were also inspired by the feeling of being overwhelmed by the insanity of the world, and the reciprocal feeling of wanting to experience something simple and warm, like the sunlight on your skin or the touch of another human being.
2.) How would you describe your sound on this album?
“Warm and crackling and a bit breezy. End of summer/early fall. Sunny Radiohead”
3.) The vocal unity throughout the album reminds me of the band Chicago. What other artists/bands do you look up to for inspiration?
“Nick Drake is a huge inspiration… Tame Impala, Radiohead, Feist, Steely Dan, Anderson .Paak, Talk Talk, Big Thief, George Harrison (and the Beatles of course), Andy Shauf.”
4.) Piano seems to be coming back in pop, alternative, and even rock music. What’s your opinion on keeping that “band” sound in music?
“We just got really into capturing organic, acoustic sounds on this record. This also probably had to do with the fact that we were listening to a lot of folk (Andy Shauf) and old Beatles (Help! / Hard Day’s Night) at the time. We still love synthesizers and modern crisp production, and you can actually hear a somewhat different production style on some of the older tunes on the album like ‘New Biome’ and ‘This Must Be The Place.’ But the bulk of the songs (‘Info Machine’, ‘Foreign Room’, ‘lowlife’, ‘K-Town’, ‘Friends’, ‘Giants’) were written and recorded quickly – each song took about two days – and we captured them in more of that traditional band style with layered acoustic guitars, upright piano, organ, and ukelele.”
5.) What song are you most excited to perform live and why?
“Oh boy… ‘Hands Up Head Down’ has quickly become our favorite on tour with Hippo Campus because we teach everyone the dance move and suddenly a thousand people are dancing like zombies while we play. It positively pops off.
6.) What does 2018 look like?
“Tour! On tour now until end of Feb with Hippo Campus, and then we have our own national headline tour in April/May. Meanwhile we will be recording new material whenever we are home in LA, as well as making live videos in our house. Gonna be a wild year.”
For more information on Sure Sure, visit their website!
Zedd’s latest single, “The Middle” features country newcomer Maren Morris, who proves to have the perfect voice for an EDM hook. She whines on the chorus “Why don’t you just meet me in the middle, I’m losing my mind just a little” in true Zedd pop/flirty fashion.
Although there are SEVERAL similarities to Zedd’s 2017 smash hit “Stay” featuring alt-crush Alessia Cara, “Middle” still has that pop glimmer we love so much. The female vocals are stellar and the beat drop at the chorus is just as good as it always is. Zedd’s sound continues to be niche and who cares, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
Morris tweeted in support of the hot track, saying, “When Zedd comes to Nashville to record your vocal, you race there. So proud to be apart of this jam.”
Texas natives, Northern National just released their latest single, “Slow Down” off their new EP, D.A.R.K. Channeling their alternative side they’ve mastered so well, you can’t help but compare this one to an Imagine Dragons-esque anthem. Something draws you in with the eeriest sound. The haunting backup vocals and consistent hit of a drum make this stand out among the rest of their discography.
Listen for yourself:
1.) Explain more about the song meaning “‘Slow Down’ talks about the realization that we all lie for different reasons and using that realization to change ourselves for the better.
The bridge of the song says, ‘I’m a liar, I am tired, I get higher just to hide that I am a liar’. These lines are the ‘wake the fuck up moment.’ The ‘these lies are exhausting and you can’t keep doing this’ moment. The ‘You have to change for yourself’ moment.
Sometimes you can’t just change for someone else. You have to change for yourself first and foremost and then let that change be shaped by the people around you, and that is what the song is really about. It’s a song about realizing the person who you’ve become after all the years of wearing a mask you’ve shaped for yourself through lies, hiding, and fear. Now that you’ve realized that mask… you won’t back down, you will hold out, you won’t slow down any longer.”
2.) Who are some of your musical inspirations?
“Everyone in the band has different musical inspirations actually. Our singer’s favorite songwriter of all time is Ray LaMontange, mine (Kanne) is probably a songwriter named Ron Pope, our drummer loves Bombay Bicycle Club, and our bassist/guitarist loves Thrice. It’s crazy the range that a band can have sometimes.
Actually we are all creating playlists currently of our favorite music and what we are all listening too. You can check those out on our Spotify!“
3.) Is this a glimpse into what the rest of the EP will sound like? “‘Slow Down’ was the first single we finished writing and recording in the studio. It helped format the direction of the EP for sure. However, we have a couple different vibes on it. We want to keep the audience guessing and intrigued about what’s coming next. You will really get to see all the sides of Northern National in the EP.”
4.) What are your plans for 2018? “Releasing this new record and lots and lots of touring! We are currently booking for the summer, but from about May on.. get ready to see us at a city near you! We can’t wait to get on the road and play these new songs and write more for future records.”
![SureSure - ZachBell[Friends]](https://blondieandthebeat.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/suresure-zachbellfriends.jpg?w=366&h=244)
Music blogger 