guess what y’all? got a new song called ‘U’ dropping next month! my latest track ‘1-800 C H A O T I C’ is OUT NOW!! —my latest EP ‘ELEVEN O’ CLOCK’ is out now; my debut EP ‘EPISODES OF A CANCER’is out as well. words don’t suffice how appreciative of all the love, support n feedback i receive!! which means the world!!!
Los Angeles’ TWIN XL has drummed up quite a lot of critical acclaim this last year with their alt pop, and they’re sure to continue their momentum now that they’ve released their latest single Messy. The supergroup of sorts, consisting of ex-The Summer Set members Stephen & John Gomez plus Nekocat’s Cameron Walker-Wright, self-produced and wrote their latest earwormy gem alongside Little Hurt (Colin Dieden, former lead of The Mowgli’s). Messy’s driving cadence, which evokes twenty one pilots, is melded with an infectious pop allure reminiscent of Lovelytheband. The group shares: “‘Messy’ is about being caught in a cycle of anxiety and disrepair and ultimately trying to get better not only for yourself but also for the people who mean the most to you.” TWIN XL is on tour right now, and they’ll be supporting Fitz and the Tantrums on their massive tour early next year, too. Check out all tour dates, including a stop at August Hall here in San Francisco on November 26th, here. Stream/download Messy, here.
/ When you love writing music that is sad, it tends to go slower and is muscled up through grumbling angst. It’s good to keep working on the craft of writing a song that feels danceable. Dancing is the antidote to being sad. Songwriter Helen Zhou’s new single was launched with the endeavor to stop moping and add a little skip to her step. The single came out on April 16th, 2021.
Hi Mark,
I grew up in Singapore learning classical piano but was never really good at it because I never played any of the pieces according to the style of the period - I added too much pedal to Bach and played Mozart too aggressively. For that reason, and that reason alone, I failed my piano Diploma exam.
I moved to Los Angeles for college and sang poorly in various rock and metal cover bands before finally learning how to scream and sing properly when I graduated. Post-college I found myself in an original theatrical metal band which promised much but did not do much, so I decided to learn how to produce music and make my own songs, and actually get stuff done.
I released my first songs in 2020 of the dark alt-pop genre. I almost exclusively write sad songs because music is my outlet for sad feelings, particularly the “romance” kind. So I found myself releasing a debut melancholy alt-pop EP titled “Best Intentions” about guys who had the worst intentions towards me. Fodder for me to mope around.
Towards the end of 2020, I realized that my music did not really match up with who I am and want to be. Pre-pandemic I liked going to metal concerts and headbang until my neck is stiff or electronic concerts and dance until my body turns into meat pulp. I miss upbeat music, and I want to make upbeat music. So I decided to change my style of production.
This year I still write sad songs about romantic letdowns but what the hell, I make them so at least I get to party to the songs. I make dance-pop now and my first release is “Little More,” about a texting relationship with a guy who promised much but did not do much. I wrote the song in 2020 as a sad indie pop song initially but revamped it into what it is now, a fierce rebuke to YOU, Mr. Gif, who can’t open up or progress a romantic relationship. Bye!
guess what y’all? got a new song called ‘U’ dropping next month! my latest track ‘1-800 C H A O T I C’ is OUT NOW!! —my latest EP ‘ELEVEN O’ CLOCK’ is out now; my debut EP ‘EPISODES OF A CANCER’is out as well. words don’t suffice how appreciative of all the love, support n feedback i receive!! which means the world!!!
