MMM with ashley d. & Truthpaste
Back from my unplanned break :) Great picks this week + Mendel news galore
Welcome to Max’s Music Mondays. My ~music discovery newsletter~ where I get too excited about songs I love. I hope you love them too. Your subscriptions go such a long way. Free subscribers help these artists get the audience they deserve, paid subscriptions help keep this thing running and also PAY THE ARTISTS!!! 2/3 of every subscription goes right back to the artists I write about. Please consider supporting independent music and music journalism(?) here today <3 Got a new font on these - what do you think?
Ok I didn’t plan on taking two weeks and one day off but it happened and that’s ok! *nervously looking around waiting for you all to start nodding* Ok.. ok, it’s ok. Yes! I knew you’d get it. Thank you for understanding.
Luckily, the missed posts were mostly due to being either in a plane or very busy living life! I’ve been in NY the last week now, and it’s been a special time full of amazing people and music, and just generally feeling really inspired (and tired).
After getting in late last Monday, I woke up and voila it was show day. The first Two by Two show in NY! A massive joy, I’ll be thinking about this one for a while. It felt lucky to share it with such a warm room. New friends, old friends, helping validate and shape this idea. Meant a lot to me and I can’t wait to keep moving forward.
Here’s a couple pics from my friend Janae. Really capturing some of the magic.
So grateful to Farrah Hanna, Chloe Southern, hrlum, and A.G. Sully for such a wonderful show.
This week, Hudson Freeman’s album comes out. Spotify users still have time to pre-save the record here!!! Please do, it’s a big help to us. I’m so excited for more people to hear these songs. I’ll probably send a little bonus post on Thursday with more thoughts, but man oh man, y’all are in for a treat. For those in NY, please come hang with me at the album release show on June 5th.
And beyond all of that, I still found two songs you need to hear right now. If you can even believe it.
Please follow the playlist if you haven’t already! It’s where I put all these songs, and every follow helps the music that much more. Crazy to be creeping up on 1k! Thank you <3
ashley d. - Hold Over
If there’s one thing I love about writing this newsletter, about looking for new music all the time, it’s that there’s no shortage of gems to find. Sure it might be like looking for the single needle amongst 40 hay stacks. But every time I feel any kind of musical rut forming, I seem to find something entirely new to me and so exciting. You’ll never guess… this is one of those songs. When I’m sure I’ve heard everything and no about every band, voila, there’s ashley d.
It starts with such great guitars, a few standing side by side, each moving in their own way, bringing beautiful tone. ashley d.’s voice pouring out like a match made in heaven. holding over now- the phrase ending, releasing everything that’s left, it almost sounds like the tiniest punch to the gut. Or maybe a quiet sob. A pain and a relief in finally spitting this all out.
As more chords come sweeping in, things get exciting. The core of this song, that progression we’ve stayed in until now, feels so urgent and so strong, a part of me thought we’d be stuck there forever (which would’ve been fine by me btw). But now there’s motion, this song slowly forging forward. Revealing itself measure by measure. ashley pushing a bit more, her vocals are so smooth. The little vibrato at the end of these phrases… it’s so killer and really rewards a close listen.
like dogs we cry on hand and knee. This was really all I needed to hear to know how special this song was. Perfect writing, perfect delivery.
At 0:55 we breath, as ashley paints this uncertain picture. The song with a deep exhale, even amidst a lack of clarity. That walks on blindly carries a perfect dose of darkness that the song bends towards. The harmonies soaked in reverb like voices in the night. You can hear them but you can’t quite see them.
And on the other side, we reach a new verse. This time the drummer finding a bigger role. Driving the song forward, familiar shapes with new wrinkles. More stellar writing, it’s growing in me now / the place for what we should’ve been. This grief slowly building, and you can hear the depth of emotion in ashley’s vocals. The hour passes desperately is so genius, so poetic, and flows out with such an elegance.
The band at full force here, the song has shifted from this intimate singer-songwriter moment into a full on new country band. Finding a new approach to a more timeless sound, these shuffling drums working so perfectly.
Do you hold on like I do? / Do you wish you could stop too?
Geez. Come on.
This one rocks and I cannot wait to see what else ashley d. is cooking up. Great things to come I can tell.
Follow ashley d. on Instagram // on Spotify
Truthpaste - See You Around
AH. wow. Hit play. Let this one transport you and blow your mind.
Over a wavering chord, this gorgeous guitar progression comes sauntering in. It’s so beautiful, so unexpected. The tone is sick, the control is sick. It’s a wonderful intro, and frankly if the song ended at 0:30, I think I still would’ve found a way to write a few hundred words about it. But there’s another three and half minutes left so we better get moving.
The band reboots the motif, now with strings and saxophone at the edges to pull us deeper in. A spooky bell bounces alongside the guitar and helps set the tone for this one. Truthpaste’s lead singer, Esmé Herbert, opens the new section, the band putting together a gobsmacking moment as they join in for the yada yada’s for the first time. It’s surprising and executed so well, really a group of musicians and performers flexing their skills. For example, don’t miss the drums here. Yeah, they’d be easy to overlook with the chorus of voices and a violin that cuts through it all. But don’t!! The drums are so tight, rolling off satisfying triplets, a tasteful tone, and kick with a nice bit of bass pushing through. It’s such a clean section.
This scene repeats after a quick instrumental break, these yada yada ya’s seeming to hit harder with each repetition. This time, the drummer starts loosening up with that cymbal, Herbert pushing to the edge in this first phrase. A gentle voice finding more and more edge as the song and the emotions, develop further. The background vocals give this moment such an exciting feeling, a new urgency, and this messiness that just feels really nice.
Another instrumental section lets the saxophone and violinist show off again, the two in their own worlds, but each’s output mixes so nicely together. And it’s at this point I start to worry for our friend on guitar. This must be straining, delivering this pattern over and over. Thank god for it though, it’s so damn good and really helps connect the song from bit to bit.
Have you heard of Frankenstein / I know he was before your time is genius. To follow up this line with never want to leave again, I never want to die, is somehow even more brilliant?? This smile-to-despair rug-pull lands so effectively. Representative of this whole song too. Not too self-serious, rather seeking some joy and levity while navigating these more existential ideas. All delivered with creative melodies and unbearably good performances.
The band reaching for more action in their hometown, more connection with the people around them. And lemme tell ya, with music like this there’s a lot more action and connection to come, my goodness. Really delighted by this one, and can’t wait for more from these folks.
Follow Truthpaste on Instagram // on Spotify
[big love to blubbblubb for sharing this one, too! a crucial source for music discovery.]
All The Other Days!!
New Chartreuse is crazy. So good to have Wednesday back. Fresh Buscabulla, I really love them so much. New Sabrina Song!!! Screaming along wow. And really enjoying the recent releases from brookelen, Samuel Aaron, taeo, Aniwa, and this Sofia Kourtesis x Daphni tune. Tap in!!!
*Mendel News*
Pre-save Hudson Freeman’s album, is a Folk Artist, out this Thursday, May 29th.
Grab a ticket to see Hudson’s release show with Helenor & Farrah Hanna! June 5th at Purgatory! Show of the summer!! We’re gonna sell this out so get a ticket today!!
Follow Mendel on TikTok too plz !
Until next time,
Max
hi max! i really love your substack and have been subscribed for a while. you have great taste. i just emailed you about my song trophy wife in training + upcoming release. hope you check it out! x