We’re glad to announce that Texas, United States-based shoegaze/psychedelic rock band Roadkeeper have released a new single, titled “Take the L.”
The elusive quartet have released a stream of singles since 2018, debuting with the cathartic and anthemic “The Creeps,” which deals with the dynamics of abuse and emotional manipulation. Following were the psychedelic post-punk “Gushers” the pastoral “Old Man’s War,” the precision psych-pop of “Narcissistic Peoples,” and the droning psych jam “Sundowners”–all of which tackled different facets of systemic violence such as police killings, climate change and the humanitarian issues at the US/Mexico border. The cinematic sixth single “Downs,” was a more personal contemplation of impostor syndrome and not finding one’s place within the cultural and sociopolitical zeitgeist, while their first release of 2021, “Enemy Mine,” was a politically charged psychedelic blend of noise rock and shoegaze; and you can read our review for “Enemy Mine” here.
Roadkeeper have returned with their latest single, “Take the L.” Politically driven in its themes and with sonic psychedelic waves throughout, this shoegaze-fueled track shows Roadkeeper doing what they do best. Produced and mixed by the band’s vocalist John H and mastered by Max Lorenzen, the track was written about the ongoing immigrant and refugee crisis at the US/Mexico border. “Take the L” was written during the Trump administration and recorded in the Biden administration, but its message remains just as relevant today. “Take the L” serves as an important reminder that the two major political parties in the US are just punting this issue back and forth to one another–so when is real change going to happen?
Explaining the songwriting process for “Take the L,” Roadkeeper write, “The song started out as an acoustic voice memo, which is very rare for us. The demo version was heavily inspired by David Crosby’s newer albums, his cadence and the way he integrates lyrics and melodies. We also were jamming a lot of Joey Bada$$ at the time, and the way he and his producers would refocus the tracks between the instrumental and vocal depending on what was happening in the songs.
We produced and mixed the track ourselves remotely in the shed behind John’s house in Austin, with some initial pieces recorded pre-pandemic at John’s old attic in east Texas.”
Roadkeeper have also released a great music video for “Take the L,” which you can check out here:
On “Take the L,” waves of effects-laden guitars and ethereal synths wash over the listener pleasantly, sustained by the steady rhythms of the bass and drums, while John H’s vocals have a relaxing quality that blends perfectly with the instruments. I especially enjoy the distorted guitar solo midway through “Take the L,” as well as how the track transitions seamlessly between the verses and choruses. At the same time that “Take the L” addresses a critical ongoing issue, it’s also quite an enjoyable listen, attesting to Roadkeeper’s creative songwriting as well as their superb musicianship. I would highly recommend this track to fans of psychedelic rock, shoegaze, and indie rock alike.
Don’t forget to support this project and to follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Soundcloud and Spotify. You can also check out their official website. If you enjoy his music and are able to provide monetary support, you can download their music on Bandcamp.
It also helps to stream and share their music; you can obviously find it in the following Playlists (later today or as soon the track is released because theres a delay with this track): Less Than 1,000 Followers, Fresh Singles, Indie Only, and Alterindie State Of Mind.
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This coverage was created via Musosoup #Sustainablecurator https://www.musosoup.com/sustainable-curator