Friday Features: Another Year Unknown, Weathers, Krief and more make for a perfectly rocking week of tunes
This week saw rockers from all fronts show up with some amazing new music, ranging from soft melodic folk to nostalgic punk.
Katherine Abbott - 'Lullaby for Lucas'
Kicking off the week with a stunningly slow, peaceful track that truly becomes its name is 'Lullaby for Lucas', a song about forgiveness and not being too quick to judge others. It glows with warm guitar melodies providing the backdrop for Abbott's delicate, ethereal vocals and storytelling lyricism.
Abbott has already earned herself a name performing up and down the country playing acoustic sets at major festivals in addition to earning acclaim from several music publications. The free-spirited folk singer-songwriter, who hails from England, was raised in a musical household, but it was influences like Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Bon Iver that truly shaped her sound in addition to pushing the young artist to embark on a quest for freedom. Her travels and the people she encountered would go on to shape her lyricism. Straddling the line between reality and dreams, Abbott crafts light, guitar-led melodies that provide the perfect backdrop for her poetic, thought-provoking lyrics and haunting vocals.
'Lullaby for Lucas' was written for a certain Lucas Abbott met whilst walking the Camino de Santiago. Speaking about the track the artist shares, "Lucas was an opera singer in Vienna but had lost his voice and had taken to living a nomadic existence. We had a jam in a bar one night and he tried to sing but his voice just came out as this croak which brought him to tears." With regards to the takeaway message from this track Abbott confides, “I would hope in the moment the music may help someone to feel lighter in spirit. There’s so much beauty that exists inside our own minds and we can combat our daemons with it. I’m always dumb-struck by the transformative power of music.”
Listen to 'Lullaby for Lucas' on Spotify or SoundCloud. Follow Katherine Abbott on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
Weathers - 'C'est La Vie'
Los Angeles alt-rockers Weathers have returned with a rousing new single, one that encompasses both the struggles of daily life as well as the feel-good vibes of wanting to simply throw caution to the wind and enjoy the moment for what it is. Comprised of lead singer Cameron Boyer, guitarist Cameron Olsen, bassist Brennen Bates, and drummer Cole Carson, Weathers has been through an array of ups and downs in recent times. Boyer, having gone through some challenging events in his past, wanting to process the band's struggles through songwriting, felt compelled to make feel-good songs that created a world similar to that of a John Hughes movie. Citing 'The Breakfast Club' as an example, Boyer highlights through his writing that how people act and look on the outside is often in contrast to how they feel on the inside.
Everyone is going through something no matter how ‘together’ they might look. The band’s story is all about growing up and coming into their own and, to that end, their music includes themes of social anxiety, mental health, and the struggles that come along with it. Out of their journey of self-discovery has emerged what they define as "this messy, glitchy sound that makes you want to cry, while jumping up and down at the same time."
'C'est La Vie' is out on all streaming platforms now. Follow Weathers via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or WeathersBand.com.
Krief - 'I Am The Pillar Of Darkness In Your Life'
Krief debuted his single 'I Am The Pillar Of Darkness In Your Life' off his forthcoming album 'Chemical Trance' this week, and it's a song that is morbidly smooth - perfectly fitting for its thematic elements that revolve around facing your inner demons.
Speaking about the song's writing process Krief shares, "Writing this song, I thought about this path I ended up on, in which I gathered the very basics to stay the course and survive. I was sold a dream, but it wasn’t my dream. I thought about how in my darkest hours I found myself surrounded by the exact same type of person." "I Am The Pillar Of Darkness In Your Life' is, essentially, Krief's journey through confronting his own demons and axing down outer obstacles. "Musically the song is quite challenging, the chords shift in odd places and there are a couple tempo/timing changes," shares the artist. "I made a commitment to keeping the first take on every track in order to preserve a sense of raw emotion that tends to get lost with repetition." That rawness is evident across all of Krief's music.
'Chemical Trance' is out on August 14. Stream 'I Am The Pillar Of Darkness In Your Life' HERE. Follow Krief via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Krief.ca.
Another Year Unknown - 'A-TT-I-C'
It’s important to never lose sight of your dreams, especially in the face of uncertainty. Life is about going after what you’re passionate about even in the most difficult of times. And that's precisely the message Atlanta-based band Another Year Unknown hopes to convey through their music. Influenced by outspoken leaders of the punk rock realm such as Sum 41, Blink-182, The Menzingers, and Anti-Flag, the trio has been developing their unique sound since Fall 2018, with their debut EP 'Stymie' being something that sits in between contemporary punk and something reminiscent of the early-2000s.
Speaking about their latest single the band shares, "When writing A-TT-I-C we wanted to write something that gives that iconic early 2000's summer pop-punk feel with our own style. Our goal was, if we had a chance to write a song for 'American Pie' back in the day, what would it be? Well, it would be A-TT-I-C."
'A-TT-I-C' is out on all streaming platforms now. Follow Another Year Unknown via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or AnotherYearUnknown.com.