Tag Archives: power pop

LISTEN: Leah Burns Wants You to Go Out and Live Life

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Photo credit: Kyrie Dial

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!

LISTEN: You’ll Be ‘Better Off’ After That Breakup

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It can be tough to see at first, but the truth is, a lot of breakups are for the best.

New Jersey-based alt-rockers The Break Plans deliver that message in empowering fashion on their latest single, “Better Off” (released May 10). The tune combines scorching guitar work with an anthemic pop sensibility, providing a lift to anyone struggling with what comes next after a relationship.

“Heartbreak is really hard and can be incredibly lonely,” shares vocalist Colton Braun. “I wanted to talk about those experiences so many of us have had. What I’ve learned is that there’s a great deal of freedom that comes from finally letting go. Writing these songs with my band was the most cathartic thing I’ve ever done. I hope our listeners can relate and find comfort in it.”

The single — the first from the band’s debut EP, Mistakes Are a Friend of Mine (due Fall 2024) — marks a watershed moment in the band’s creative process, with guitarist Mikey Strawz noting that the band feels free to create music they love.

 “This is our third cycle of releasing new music, and we’re allowing each other total freedom to write the songs that we want to make,” Strawz said. “It’s completely uninhibited and has helped the writing process immensely. After working with so many talented producers (Carl Bahner -The Wombats, Rob Chiarappa – Gray Scale/Jake Miller, Corey Mouch-Knox) and keeping a keen eye on modern pop music, we have a clear direction of what works for us.”

LISTEN: On ‘Roman Holiday,’ Skylar Lee Captures the Spirit of Romance

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Skylar Lee is one of the more intriguing artists we’ve had the chance to feature over the past couple of years. Since bursting onto our radar with her 2020 single, “Marionette,” the Nashville-based producer and songwriter is an inspiration for women everywhere, releasing pop music that is fresh and exciting in a historically male-dominated profession.

Hear ‘Roman Holiday’

LISTEN: ‘Going to the Movies’ Reveals the True Mark Fredson

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Over the course of his career, and through numerous projects, Mark Fredson has garnered well-deserved attention, both for his fearless showmanship, as well as a knack for writing larger-than-life hooks. Fredson gained notoriety — in Nashville, and across the United States — for his time as the frontman of The Lonely H, and helped Margo Price craft her breakout song “Hurtin’ (On the Bottle).”

The sum of those experiences has culminated in Going to the Movies, Fredson’s new, 9-track volume of “classic bedroom pop” that, in the artist’s own words, is his most authentic work to date.

“Going to the Movies sounds very 2019, but it can also take you back to an earlier time,” Fredson said. “It bridges a solid gap between two worlds. I wanted to sound new while still mining the past, and this is my true self on the record. Regardless of the different iterations of music I’ve played in the past, there’s nothing in the world that’s more representative of me as a person than what you hear here.”

If that’s the case, then we love Mark Fredson here at UMC!

Go to The Movies!
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