MMM with Kiernan & GUINEVERE
Back from the Farm a little early, with new music in hand.
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?
Woah a Wednesday edition!?! That’s right, a little mid-week pick me up.
I’ve just made my way back from Bonnaroo after a very-different-than-expected trip. Ol’ mother naytch didn’t want us to have too much fun, and storms sent us packing after just more than a day of music. The weekend only salvaged by catching Remi Wolf’s rescheduled Superjam on Saturday and Justice on Sunday, both back in Nashville.
Remi’s Superjam brought out Grouplove, Medium Build, Hayley Williams and more for a truly unforgettable night of 70’s covers. One of those ‘only see it here’ Roo things, I’m so lucky to still share that magic. Justice was… mind-blowing. If you can see them soon, do. Insane lighting & video work, with a set that is SO dialed in. We were losing our minds from start to finish.
But now I head back to LA, and back to basics we’ve got two incredibly finds to check out this week. Plus(!) a music video that I got to work on is out! More on that later.
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. 1 like - 1 dream coming true for me. Thank you <3
Kiernan - Honest Man
I’m not sure where or when or how, but some beautiful twist of fate/algorithm dropped Kiernan’s tiny desk submission into my life some few months back. The performance really caught me. The visual language was beautiful and cozy and immediately felt right. Just look at those captions! Hearing the vocals bounce gently over perfect guitar tone, I was hooked.
At the time, the song was unreleased. Kiernan shared an upcoming single with me, what would be the first off the new album, and I was even more sold. Late last month the album dropped, and I found my Honest Man obsession renewed.
Recorded, the band sounds spectacular. That rubber bridge guitar is so distinct, carrying just the right texture. The drums are warm, complete with a shaker that offers such a generous groove. A soft bass fills the open low end and ties it all together. In this first 15 seconds or so, it all feels complete, like we don’t even need vocals. This instrumental loop a stunning and satisfying collection of sounds. As Kiernan’s lead, Laura Kiernan steps to the mic, I remember why I initially was so struck by this song.
The writing is such an excellent execution of this contemporary indie-folk sound. Efficient phrases creating such visceral imagery with only a short few words. This first stanza, the mud I dripped it in I guess, spilling out over the edges of the “traditional” structure. It’s beautiful and messy in the best way.
I love Laura’s voice so much. Flipping up to the higher ends of her range, such nice complexity and character at its lower end. We reach the chorus and hear it showcased. Patiently bounding from word to word, a portrait of a person trying their best.
As a quick second verse passes by, the return to chorus feels empowered by that second vocal. We lean into that “Maaaaan, maAAaaAan” a couple times, the emotion really letting the word grow. A great moment.
We pass into a final verse, our narrator finally escaping this depression and grief. Stepping forward with acceptance as they move on to whatever is next. It’s such a beautiful song, and a great record from this Minneapolis-based band. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Follow Kiernan on Instagram // on Spotify
GUINEVERE - Lisa
Yup!!! Immediately we’re rolling and immediately it’s sick as hell. Warm fuzz of the room, the bass sliding right into place, the hi-hat pitter pattering away, that piano!!!! Each piece really unique and they all sit so nicely together. GUINEVERE can’t wait long, the energy is too good.
She picks up the mic and the story kicks off. Feet first through your basement window. If that’s not a transportive lyric… the visual is so clear, the feeling is so clear. Both emotionally - the thrill of the mischief - and physically. For some reason, the feet first bit really hits and I can really sense the gravity pulling on my own body, sliding through that window trying not to fall too fast. The it hurts lyric fits neatly between two different kinds of hurt, but the moment wraps with a smirk of a me too.
Into the pre-chorus, a new synth carries a nice melody, the drums start to push, the whole thing taking on a new shape and a new urgency. It builds and it builds, before falling into this really great chorus. The restraint and control is evident, instead of blasting off immediately the chorus creates a cool dynamic. Like a “cool” cool, like sunglasses emoji cool, that cowbell adding masterfully to the groove.
As we repeat the maybe you need me too here, GUINEVERE shows a little more of what’s possible, sending that voice up to dance alongside this piano melody. Really a delightful performance.
A vocoder layer gives depth to the next verse. It’s quick and impactful, GUINEVERE peeling back more layers to this story. And in the following chorus, the me too gets sent soaring, and once again I’m loving it. This time it throws towards a bridge, that momentum kept up. We see the titular Lisa for the first time, before this na-na-na section which words so well. This song carries some hard/heavy/confusing relationship struggles, but they’re really having fun with how they present it all here. One heck of a song.
The energy is relentless and infectious. I’ve had this one stuck in my head since I first heard it. Sorry if the same happens to you… but not sorry because it rules LOL. Looking forward to hearing whatever is to come. Enjoy <3
Follow GUINEVERE on Instagram // on Spotify
All The Other Days!!
A few new ones on my radar this week:
Margaux - Glass, Concrete, and Stone. Lovely cover of a David Byrne fav.
Little Simz w/ Sampha - Blue. As good as you’d hope from these two.
mark william lewis - Tomorrow is Perfect. Y’all…. get on board. What a voice.
TSHA - Revolution. Obsessed w/ her.
intrnet boyfriend - REFLECTION. See below….
*Mendel News*
Former MMM pick, Intrnet Boyfriend is back with a crazy new single and a perfect video. Directed by absolute genius (and also my partner) Nat Nick, it’s a haunting and beautiful video that sees Intrnet Boyfriend star alongside himself - facing, and running from, his doppelgänger. Nat created a stunning visual world for this song, full of powerful images and some genuinely scary shots!! It’s so delightfully twisted. Love it so much and so proud to have been a part of the team :) Congrats to them both and to our other collaborators, Vee, Ly, Lucas, and Wei-Fang for their help. Hope you all enjoy this video!!!
Glad to be back home, talk soon,
Max