Van Mary Share Hug
There’s no sense in keep Austin’s Van Mary as one of our own little secrets; its time Emily Whetstone and company were let out into the world…and “Hug” might just be the key to getting your attention. The song was written during the early days of quarantine, with Whetstone missing the camaraderie and joy that her friendships brought her; this might just be the most relatable tune from 2020. Musically, I love the layers, like this onion of pop waiting to be peeled by the listener. At first, the skin of the song is this darkened ballad, Whetstone working her vocals over a gentle strum; once that layer’s discarded, the song meets up with some meandering nuance before the drums take the track up a notch; it all culminates in this soaring sonic exploration that leads to the Emily’s voice winning you love with its range. You end the song feeling like you’ve been along for this journey of isolation, and you, too, are looking for that hug…this song is a hug from Van Mary; enjoy the warmth. Expect a full LP later in the Spring!

The last few days were filled with rain and cold here in Austin, until late afternoon yesterday, when I first heard this new
I’ll be honest, I don’t know too much about
I’ve always been a fan of Gregory James’ recording project 
Dummy
Maya Stoner is hitting all the right notes for me with her new set of songs for the Tired and True EP. I thought the choice to kind of have a brief lead-in set the song up perfectly for this single, not to mention that chorus has everything you need for a hit. It has this effortless swagger and cool, almost giving the song an uplifting bounce. As the track goes down Stoner doesn’t shy away from throwing a little heavy jam in there, all before bringing back the intoxicating chorus, this time featuring a little guitar solo.