Alt-rockers All Poets & Heroes outlasted stiff competition to be crowned Nashville’s Battle of the Bands winners. The competition — hosted by our good friend ARREIS and Chicago-based music platform Local Nation — helped some of Nashville’s top emerging artists showcase their talent, while building a stronger community among the independent music industry.
Today, we chat with All Poets & Heroes about the win, their journey as a band, and what we can expect going forward.
This episode of The Quinn Spinn was recorded and produced at Helping Our Music Evolve, Nashville, TN.
Remember that time you were in love, and it just didn’t work out?
Evan Kreutz does, and he filters that nostalgia through a 2000s pop rock-tinted lens on his new single, “Dandelion.”
Those who find resonance with the emotive alt-rock stylings of bands like Guster and Fountains of Wayne will enjoy diving into this one. From the opening line, “she’s all out of patience,” we can feel a deep sense of longing and regret. With each somber chord, Kreutz wistfully comes to terms with the fact that the love he once held so dear — which provided him with so many beautiful moments and memories — is gone with the wind.
“Dandelion” was produced by Doug Grama and mixed by Ray Martell at Westfall Recording, with Griff McCarthy on drums. Get ready to get into your feelings with this one!
There are times in all of our lives when persistence itself is an act of bravery.
Nashville-based songwriter Josh Gilligan offers a comforting commentary on such moments with “Anything,” the first single from his forthcoming album, Party of One (out January 24 via Easy Does It Records).
“I started writing ‘Anything’ to a friend who was going through some pretty dark times. It’s a song that acknowledges the bravery it takes to keep on going, no matter what kind of life you lead,” Gilligan said. “It’s not written to give advice or prescribe anything, but just to extend some calm love and feel the weight and the joy of life together. It’s also the first tune coming out that I live tracked together with the band!”
“Anything” is the opening salvo of the forthcoming record, described as a “somber, yet hopeful collection of songs.” The mellow, shoegaze-y indie rock tune is also part autobiographical, with a relatable message for anybody soldiering through the grind of everyday life.
“I wasn’t expecting to feel so hollowed out after my twenties, and I was wondering if I still wanted to make music. But I felt like I owed it to myself to give it another try, even though in the back of my mind I’m thinking, ‘What can I add to the conversation? Why would anyone want to listen to what I have to say?'” Gilligan recalled. “‘Anything’ came out of that, and it’s been a good message to live with. A lot of people think that if they’re not doing something super ambitious and highly visible, that means they’re doing something wrong or they’re not being brave enough. But, it takes so much bravery to do anything at all.”
Life doesn’t always wait until we’re ready to make changes.
Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario-based songwriter Matthew Ryan Jacobs has experienced plenty of growth over the past few years, and he captures its essence on “Where Are You Now.” This bluesy waltz is passed through a gritty alt-rock filter, as Jacobs helps us reflect on the pivotal moments that comprise life’s bittersweet journey.
“’Where Are you Now’ is mostly about making changes in your life, whether you want to or not,” Jacobs said. “A lot of my writing over the last few years has had a lot to do with getting older or growth; and the struggle of leaving certain things or people in your past. It’s not intended to be a negative narrative, just honest. Even if you know you’re making the right — or at least, better — decision, you still second guess yourself along the way.”
“At least I do.”
Produced by Ben Kempel, Jacobs describes “Where Are You Now” as a song that “just kind of happened” — much like the reality that inspired its narrative.
“I didn’t overthink anything in the process. It felt right, so we went with it,” Jacobs said. “I had a pretty clear vision for the production, and Ben did a great job as usual making it happen.“
In the dramatic, cinematic fashion we’ve come to know and love, ROM COM captures the essence of that moment brilliantly on their latest single, “Call You Mine.” A collaboration with songwriter/vocalist Eliza Harrison Smith, the dreamy new alt-pop single encapsulates our collective struggle to realize that nothing gold can stay.
“‘Call You Mine” is a song about a relationship that is fading away, but still trying to hold on,” said ROM COM vocalist Aron Rosing. “It is the first release with Eliza, with several more collaborations planned over the next few months.”
Imagine the late September sun shining, though not as bright as it did just a couple months prior. Imagine the sweet, warm air growing colder with the winds of change, as the first leaves turn yellow and we’re left to face the inevitable. That is the essence of “Call You Mine.”
Hold onto the moment before it’s gone, and check it out below!
Welcome to 2024, where real life is never quite as perfect as the images we portray.
KJ Wild are here with a timely (and timeless) reminder to look behind the filter on “Red Hot Magazine Girl.” The alt-pop duo — comprised of powerhouse indie artists Kiki Halliday and Jon Worthy — wrote this song as a critique on the tendency of modern society and its influencers to post only about life’s good parts, painting an unrealistic picture of life, love, success, and happiness.
“We always see smiles, celebrations, amazing achievements, and pictures displaying a sense that nothing is ever wrong in a person’s life — but truly, that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Worthy said. “Nothing is as glamorous as it seems, and a lot of people in modern society feel the need to make everything seem perfect. So, this song is us calling out those people that live for the picture and not the moment; the people that always have to share that smiling picture in front of the beautiful sunset, even though minutes before, they were potentially scrolling on their phone, comparing themselves to their peers.”
“Red Hot Magazine Girl” was built on an acoustic foundation, and was written and produced entirely by the band. The song’s structure and infectious melody offer a nostalgic nod to rock and roll’s early days, while its hazy indie rock ambiance lends a modern, youthful energy to the final product.
If you’re in Nashville, come out to The 5 Spot on Sunday, November 3 to hear KJ Wild perform this one live (and while you wait, treat yourself to a preview…)
Acclaimed songwriter Mobley just dropped his first new release since 2022 — and he’s wasting no time taking us on an emotional thrill ride.
“Y’r Ghost” is bubbling over with abrupt twists and turns — both in its sonic landscape, and the mood it serves to create. What begins with a sweet, soulful simmer transforms on a dime into a frantic, up-tempo dash, as our protagonist searches for answers after losing a partner whom he loved intensely.
“‘Y’r Ghost’ marks the return of Jacob Creedmoor, the protagonist from my last record, Cry Havoc!,” Mobley said. “It finds him reminiscing about the night he met the love of his life and mourning her loss, and the fact that she’s fading in his memory. The song’s shifts in mood and energy mirror the turmoil of our lovelorn hero, while the lyrics hint at a larger story still waiting to be told.”
That larger story — a continuation of the themes explored on 7-track Cry Havoc! EP — is coming soon in the form of a science-fiction epic. While we await more details, immerse yourself in the latest chapter!
Our time is finite. Best to live it up while we still can.
That’s the empowering message behind Leah Burns’ latest release, “WUT R U WAITING 4.” Influenced by the power pop anthems of our Millennial youth, the rocking new single is driven forward by blistering guitars and Burns’ distinct powerhouse vocals, which are used to deliver clear instructions: drop your baggage at the door, go out, and experience life.
“I wrote it one day after therapy. We were talking about how I just wanted to feel alive again and happy. I didn’t want to be the sad version of myself or was just floating through life,” Burns said. “So, the song is about not staying stuck in place. It’s about going out and living your life to the fullest, and not waiting for it. It’s about abandoning all the patterns you’ve been stuck in and changing them, and going out and doing everything you want. (It’s about) not holding back anymore.”
It’s fitting that we’re writing this review on a Friday, because it makes this the perfect moment to take action on Burns’ message…
“I hope everyone who listens to it is inspired to grab their friends, go out, and just live,” Burns said.
Better get to it — after you give “WUT R U WAITING 4” a listen, of course!
Lips Speak Louder may have a busy fall on tap, touring with Emily Wolfe. However, that won’t stop them from continuing to crank out the tunes.
The most recent? The pop punk anthem, “Crush.” Written by Lips Speak Louder’s Rachel Brandsness and Angela Lese and produced by Wolfe, the new single reminds us what it’s like to be overcome with cautious optimism as we (maybe? possibly?) fall in love.
“(‘Crush’ is about) the incredible rush of emotions you get when you first start falling for someone, and how one unexpected encounter can change everything,” Brandsness said.
Don’t forget: you can see Lips Speak Louder perform “Crush” and plenty of other tunes from their upcoming full-length record on Saturday, October 19 at The Lipstick Lounge in Nashville. Learn more about that here, and check out the latest below!
It’s amazing how a creative spark from many moons ago can come back around, years later, and give way to something new.
That is the origin story of Hot4Robot’s tune, “Your Chemical.” The band just released an acoustic rendition on September 13, in advance of the band’s forthcoming unplugged album, recorded live at the legendary Godfrey Daniels listening room in Bethlehem, PA.
“The main groove of ‘Your Chemical’ was originally featured in a tune performed by The Foolz, a Lehigh Valley jam-band staple of the mid-aughts, whose lineup included 50 percent of Hot4Robot,” said frontman Alex Radus, who crafted the song’s prototype alongside guitarist Dave Cahill. “That tune is lost to the sands of time, but the groove was infectious enough to make its way into Hot4Robot’s songwriting toolkit. It was eventually refashioned into ‘Your Chemical’ – matched with completely different lyrics, melody and B-section.”
“Your Chemical” originally debuted on the band’s 2021 full-length, self-titled release. The pensive — some might say ominous — tune “chronicles the toxic and disorienting euphoria of addiction, especially to dopamine hits and external validation.”
Radus believes that this updated rendition gives the song’s message room to breathe, while keeping the structure and intricacies of the original intact.
“What was fascinating about reimagining this song unplugged, is that the acoustic format gave the tune an intimacy and vulnerability that conveyed the message just as well — or perhaps better? “Radus said. “It’s also pretty amazing how Dave recreates his intense and spectacular lead with no pedals or effects.”
Feel the intensity — check out “Your Chemical – Unplugged” below!
