“‘Antidote’ is about loving someone that is bad for you, or knowing that you are bad for someone,” the band shares.
NOT A TOY, who traffic in smooth and swaggy rock, previously shared the video for “J Cash” and the slow banger “Quit Quitting.”
All three tracks will appear on the band’s self-titled debut EP, which arrives August 7 via Fearless Records. It’s available here.
“This EP is a creative summary of the human experience,” NOT A TOY says. “It explores the emotional journey we’ve been through over the last few years of writing it. The collective theme of the songs is self questioning; looking inward on how far we’ve come in our self growth.”
NOT A TOY EP TRACK LISTING:
“Demise”
“J Cash”
“Watch Me”
“Quit Quitting”
“Antidote”
“Sideways”
“Drive Slow”
NOT A TOY can’t be classified as simply a band. Rather, they are a collective of four creatives — Branson Hoog [lead vocals], Jeremy Marmor [guitar], Benji Spoliansky [drums], and TJ Wessel [violin, keys]. “NOT A TOY is not just a band; it’s a lifestyle of art and creation,” says Hoog. “We’re not the first to combine different genres of music, but we’re also blending other artforms — from streetwear to art shows. We’re a snapshot of this generation’s tattooed youth and bedroom beatmakers. We’re just creating, and there are no rules to creation.”
The members of this collective met in high school and cut their teeth in various projects together before launching NOT A TOY in 2020. Operating out of a shared house in Denver, the group’s synergy results from the sum of its parts. Classically trained and on the violin from a young age, Wessel plays a slew of other instruments, adding a variety of textures and production to the sound. Marmor not only rips on guitar, but he also “makes trap beats so quickly it’s ridiculous,” while Spoliansky holds down the groove as the drummer and acts as an “overarching producer.” Meanwhile, Hoog writes the majority of the lyrics and plays guitar and piano. Based on a background in graphic design and painting, he “brings the art to the project.”
Rob CellaComments Off on “The two records are examples of what makes Wong special as a musician. They are both rich with his artistic voice and an unparalleled technical proficiency.” Today, Minneapolis-born Cory Wong, best known for his funky guitar work and touring worldwide playing his original music on the biggest stages, shares “Bluebird” from his upcoming album TRAIL SONGS: DAWN. Following its exclusive premiere on American Songwriter, “Bluebird” featuring mandolinist Chris Thile is available now on all streaming services. TRAIL SONGS: DAWN will come out on August 7, 2020 following the recent release of its sister record, the quiet, contemplative and acoustic-based TRAIL SONGS: DUSK. TRAIL SONGS: DAWN is a more rollicking affair, but was also made on all acoustic instruments. “I wanted to release two albums over the summer that reflect my personality on acoustic instruments,” Wong says. LISTEN TO “BLUEBIRD” The beginning of lockdown was an emotional time for the guitarist and podcast host who found himself sitting still for the first time in a decade. The music that was to become TRAIL SONGS came pouring forth. “The last few years have been a wild ride with Vulfpeck blowing up, and my solo career taking off as well,” continues Wong. “It’s been really fun, but it’s been at a constant high-speed pace. In March, when everything went into lockdown, it was the first time in a long time I was able to just clear the calendar for a few months and take a breath. It kind of felt like there were no rules for an artist’s output…in a good sense. Some people needed time to just absorb everything going on, and others needed to express parts of their humanity through music. I am one of those artists who needed to express my feelings through writing and recording music, but more specifically, songs from sequester. I’ve never been in one place for this long in the last 10 years. It’s crazy, it’s different, but it’s in some ways exactly what i needed. “The music I wrote for this album is nothing like the music I’ve put out before. It’s reflective and contemplative. It’s all acoustic music, recorded on acoustic instruments. I started by writing tunes on the guitar, and then added layers while mocking up demos. And then i sent the demos and scores out to my friends to replace the demo parts. It was really a magical thing to be able to bring some of my friends together to play music from around the world in a time where many of them felt isolated from any sense of community. “This music is meant to be taken in and absorbed through the lens of the listener’s self-reflection. Some people dream of taking a trip to the midwest to find a respite in nature to write. For me, I didn’t need to take a trip. I needed to stop taking trips! The midwest is home for me, and this album reminded me of that.” CORY WONG TRAIL SONGS: DAWN Release date: August 7, 2020 Tracklisting: Trailhead Bluebird (feat. Chris Thile) Western Winds (feat. Sierra Hull) Perfect Stone For Skipping Race With The River Overcome (feat. Cy Leo) See You On The Other Side # # # CONNECT WITH CORY WONG: OFFICIAL FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM TWITTER YOUTUBE