Melodic and symphonic in a blissfully unreserved sonic presentation, Social Station present a wonderful audio adventure in the form of ‘Try (Cross My Heart)’. With traces of post-punk and new wave, the track delivers the drive and adds a new spin of creative eloquence.
About Social Station
With a passion for analog synths, hypnotic guitar, and undeniable melancholic vocals, the band originally started as a solo project in 2013 by singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist Paul Todd, debuting with the single ‘The Sun and The Air’, followed by their ‘With a Smile’ EP.
“The song ‘Try’ has been evolving for close to two years with its start as a slow and deep staccato guitar riff along the lines of early Chelsea Wolfe or PJ Harvey, and just the first verse. Moving the song to an arrangement for piano completed the verses but still did not have the Cross My Heart chorus and up-tempo pace. Still pretty gloomy,” says Paul Todd.
“Experimenting with an Akai MPC 100, the song took off with a life of its own. The guitar melodies and string arrangements just fell into place. Two words always come to mind when working on a Social Station song, yearning, and melancholy. The perspectives or lens may change but longing or struggling and feeling overwhelmed drives the writing process. This song in particular frames the challenge of feeling comfortable in your own skin while trying to have a meaningful and significant relationship.”
Their live show and distinct sound took shape through Paul Todd’s collaboration with Spenser Kydd. Their common music sensibility for distinct melodies and themes led Social Station to release their debut single ‘Awfully Pretty’ in 2015. That track received immediate attention and was hand-picked for Orkus Music and Culture Magazine’s monthly music compilation.
With the addition of Alexander Minx on drums, Social Station spent a summer in an industrial space in Baltimore, writing and recording their debut full-length album ‘Our Pleasure of Solitude’. This effort earned them inclusion in the NPR-affiliated WAMU Capital Soundtrack and Stereo Embers Magazine’s ‘Next Twenty Post-Punk Bands You Should Know About’.
With a renewed commitment to touring and recording and the departure of Spenser Kydd and Alexander Minx, this release marks a new chapter for Social Station. The extensive use of midi sequencing and the addition of classical musician Jacob Sebastian on bass has opened a whole new world of possibilities for the duo, both in the studio and on stage.
The two of them will kick off an extensive tour in support of their new single ‘Try (Cross My Heart’ and their back catalog. Catch them at one of the dates lined up their summer.
“Blessed with a gift for the powerful yearning… without a scintilla of timidity”
– Stereo Embers Magazine“Extremely persuasive and highly melodic blend of darkwave, post-punk and dream pop, certainly influenced by the classic The Cure, Joy Division, early Bowie and The Smiths, while maintaining a thoroughly modern edge”
– WhiteLight / WhiteHeat“A hauntingly accurate expression of a beautiful sadness… Expressing the harshness of life in a catchy and beautiful way. This is the music you dance to when you have a broken heart”
– Glory in Sound“Dark upbeat yet brooding. It’s immediately infectious, demanding repeat listen and calling to mind that lush intoxication experienced when The Damned ventured into goth territory with ‘Phantasmagoria’, as well as Echo & The Bunnymen. Todd’s tempting vocals lie in the fertile ground half way between Joy Division’s Ian Curtis and none other than Nick Cave”
– The Record Stache
LINKS:
http://socialstation.com
https://www.facebook.com/socialstationmusic
https://socialstation.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC01nErg_F6csXIF08HBNt8w/videos
