Indie Rock / Power Pop artist The Persian Leaps present ‘Sweeps’ ahead of ‘Drone Etiquette’ album

September 24, 2021

"Silky fuzz and solid hooks echo The Smiths, Orange Juice and Teenage Fanclub with great enthusiasm, and they never fail to recreate that celestial guitar jangle"– NME Magazine

"While The Persian Leaps frontman wasn’t intentionally writing around politics, injustices, or the impending pandemic, some of those pent up agitations and reflections trickle out” ~ American Songwriter

"A little bit of R.E.M., a little bit Lemonheads. A dash of The Smiths, a hint of The Replacements. They appeal to fans of Throwing Muses and Tom Petty equally. They are the all-reaching, down to earth, good American indie rock that so many seek" ~ The Spill Magazine

"Unpretentious and infectious... vast riffs, euphonious vocals and pop sensibility. captivatingly pleasurable blustery indie rock" – Louder Than War

"Truncated treatises in big-guitar post-punk power-pop" – The Big Takeover

"Huge riffs echoing through your speakers, melodious vocals and the sort of pop sensibility we’ve come to expect from bands like Nada Surf" – Austin Town Hall

As The Persian Leaps move closer to releasing their new 'Drone Etiquette' album, they present 'Sweeps', the second taster of the new release, following lead track 'When This Gets Out', a song born of frustration during the Trump presidency. The long-player will be released on October 1 via Land Ski Records.

Hailing from St.Paul - Minneapolis, The Persian Leaps has gone through various lineups but has always surrounded principal songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Drew Forsberg. Embedded on a magnetic alternative rock foundation, the latest musical output continues The Persian Leaps' tradition of producing power pop earworms with midwestern charm and an inherent element of 90s 'college rock'.

“The song ‘Sweeps’ uses the television industry as a metaphor for desperation and failure. I started with the main riff and these lines and then built a song around them: They decided when we leave / They’ll put the whole thing on TV / And the ratings will determine our return. I’m not sure if it still matters during the streaming era, but “sweeps week” was a period when broadcast television networks would go all-out to achieve the highest possible ratings so they could charge more for advertising. Sweeps inspired some cheap, crazy, desperate stunts over the years - like the “Happy Days” episode where Fonzi jumps over a shark on water skis, which led to the phrase “jump the shark,” says Drew Forsberg.

“The exact subject of the song is open for interpretation. I wasn’t thinking about a romantic relationship when writing this song, although you could certainly interpret it that way. Usually, however, these things are about the band and my struggles with success and achieving wider recognition for the Persian Leaps. That’s the story I’d like to go with—"last release, we were on top of the world but this time around, things aren’t going well and we’re one bad review away from cancellation.” Of course, we were never actually on top of the world, and the new EP is FANTASTIC, but I’m entitled to take some artistic license. Nevertheless, just to be safe, buy “Drone Etiquette” and help send our ratings through the roof.”

The band-name 'The Persian Leaps' came to Forsberg in a daydream during a college Greek Archaeology class. Writing solo music under that name for years, he finally assembled a band in 2012, releasing an EP every autumn until 2017. NME Magazine described their debut 'Praise Elephants' EP (2013) as “celestial guitar jangle”. From their sophomore 'Drive Drive Delay' EP in 2014 to their fifth 'Bicycle Face' EP, their music has been widely praised. Delivering one perfect power pop cocktail after another, they eventually released their 18-track 'Pop That Goes Crunch' anthology in 2018.

That year, the Leaps returned to their roots as a studio project, releasing the 'Electrical Living' LP in 2019 and the 'Smiling Lessons' EP in 2020 together with Jon Hunt, a musician and graphic designer who did the cover artwork for most of the band's releases to date. During the 2020-2021 pandemic, Forsberg recorded 'Drone Etiquette' EP as a solo effort, primarily due to lockdown limitations.

As of September 17, 'Sweeps' will be available exclusively via Bandcamp, where the lead single ‘When This Gets Out’ can already be found. On October 1, the full 'Drone Etiquette' album will be released on CD and online platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify. It is already available for pre-order via Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Written and performed by Drew Forsberg
Drew Forsberg - Vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, drum programming
Recorded by August Ogren, The Terrarium
Mixed by Neil Weir, Blue Bell Knoll
Mastered by Bruce Templeton, Microphonic Mastering
Cover art by Jon Hunt
All Songs Land Ski Music (BMI)
(c) 2021 All Rights Reserved

Keep up with The Persian Leaps
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | Instagram | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify |

KOJ SHARE NEW SINGLE "PAMELA"

May 18, 2020

Album "HOME" coming August 21st, 2020

German indie three-piece KOJ share their new single "Pamela" along with a music video. It's the fourth single from the bands Long Branch Records label debut album "HOME" coming August 21st, 2020. "Pamela" is heavily influenced by the aesthetic of movies like Drive or Blade Runner and has that very smooth vibe, which makes it the perfect track for late-night driving. The song talks about all of the contradictions that we find ourselves in as humans. We try to fix what's not perfect, put on that make-up, try to fit the mold, manufacture a picture of ourselves designed for the perception of others. However, there is that feeling that all of these outward factors are irrelevant because they are not who we are. "I don’t feel right here in the light, ‘cause I do belong here with the night", essentially wants to say that you are not made up by all the shiny things on the outside, but more importantly by all the little things that we try to keep in the dark too often.

Stream "Pamela" here > https://koj.lnk.to/home

Pre-order the album here > https://koj.lnk.to/home

KOJ comments on new single "Pamela":

"Pamela is named, yet again, after a famous actress. What started out as an inside joke actually made a lot of sense when looking at the theme of the song and so Pamela was born. The way in which society portrayed, or to this date portrays, women in TV and film or in society in general was and still is at times highly sexualized and objectifying. Women are supposed to be pretty, desirable or of a certain body type. We all play many different roles in our lives. We pretend to be someone, that we really aren’t or don’t want to be anymore. The song wants to encourage each and every one of us to be braver in showing ourselves in a way that feels authentic to us, even if it's not what others expect of us.

Songwriting for Pamela was initiated by listening to old jamming material on our hard drive together with our producer and engineer Beray Habip. We got hooked on a synth harmonization on one of the jams and made this the foundation of Pamela."

German indie band KOJ share a strong common musical vision in addition to their roots as a family. As a closely interwoven trio they create dark, emotional soundscapes that captivate the listener. KOJ are children of the 90s and love the rock music of that time, which is reflected in the raw emotionality of their songs. KOJ wrap their musical essence in minimalistic and fine sound garments, which remind of triphop in some places and let the feeling lead the listener. The band shows itself sometimes unbending, sometimes fragile, sometimes self-confident. KOJ don't gloss over their songs, they are raw and to the point. In countless songwriting and recording sessions KOJ have worked on their sound world and created their musical home together with engineer and producer Beray Habip. An intimate and personal image of the soul life of three people has been created in the process. KOJ want to understand where they come from, where they are going and how they can exist in this world.

Line Up:

Alina von der Gathen (Guitar, Vocals)

Simon von der Gathen (Keys)

Nils von der Gathen (Drums)

For More Info Visit:

https://www.instagram.com/kojband

https://www.facebook.com/kojband

https://www.kojband.com/

Garage Rock duo, THE DODIES, have released their behind the scenes lyric video for single "Sell Out" off of their debut album It’s One Hell of a Ride that drops on Friday, April 24, 2020.

April 24, 2020

"I wrote Sell Out after our old band toured and back-lined with an Israeli pop star when we were teenagers. At the time I didn’t really see it as selling out even though the whole project was obviously more about money than music. But as I grew older I was very ashamed of the matter and realized we were taken advantage of. Many promises were made, none came to life" says Yoni.

He adds, "It’s hard defining what a sellout is, since some people take pride in what others might be deeply ashamed of. Compromising my beliefs for a momentary satisfaction is selling out for me, but it’s hard understanding what my beliefs are in the first place. Our beliefs surely have changed since our teens when we played for insensitive idiots. One of the problems with social network today is that something you might not stand by when you come of age is still out there for people to see. That’s at least one of the reasons "social network tends to make me ill."

Ran adds, "To me, the inner conflict many artists have to face is what fuels Sell Out. Every time we play it, I can feel the tension between two opposites. It confronts a contradicting reality - authenticity against fakeness, aggression against vulnerability, fulfillment against repression. We let it all out chaotically."

THE DODIES are a young garage rock duo from the southern desert of Israel. Yoni Avittan fronts the band as lead vocalist and guitarist, as Ran Aronson sings backing vocals while simultaneously playing bass lines on keyboard with one hand and playing the entire drum kit with the other.

In February 2020, THE DODIES premiered their whimsical video for single "Boiling Point" (watch it here: youtu.be/muHmssD1vPE) from their upcoming debut album It’s One Hell of a Ride due out on April 24, 2020. The album is produced by THE DODIES and co-producer Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal (Sons Of Apollo / ex-Guns N' Roses).

THE DODIES songs jump head-first into depression, alienation and rage, contrasted by hooky riffs and catchy melodies. They're a band that puts high importance on artistic integrity and uncompromising authenticity, always giving their full spirit in the studio and on stage.

"I was called in to co-produce a demo they were recording at a studio in Texas, end of 2018. I was blown away - great songwriters, performers, and lots of personality. Yoni (guitars/vocals) is a poetic uncompromising artist. Ran (drums/keys/backing vocals) plays the entire kit with his right arm while simultaneously playing bass on a synth with his left hand, and singing backing vocals, and does it effortlessly. Together they're a sight to be seen" says Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal.

Thal adds, "They put very high importance on integrity, everything being authentic in expressing who they are, I respect that a lot. My role was to make that happen. I flew out to them to record the full album. We recorded the music at a local studio, then recorded vocals and extras (tambourine, foot stomps, kicking rattling amps...) at Ran's house (I brought over mics and an interface). We did it all with no click track, no re-amping, no drum triggers, no auto-tune - just the two of them playing together, capturing the spirit, on their gear, everything in just a first or second take. We worked as a team the following months mixing, tweaking, obsessing over details until it was ready. I can truly say, I can't remember the last time I've felt so much heart and had so much fun producing a band, I want to see these guys go on to have a great future, and am grateful to be here at the start of it all."

The Dodies are:
Yoni Avittan - Singer / Guitarist
Ran Aronson - Drummer / Synth Bassist / Backing Vocalist

For More Information Please Visit: