Finnish rising alt-pop rockers Pastel Stereo have shared their new single 'The Joker', alongside the official music video, following on form their debut 'Disappear' in April.
Born from a demo that Eemeli wrote during a rainy day, 'The Joker' is the sequel to their debut 'Disappear' which was released back in April. Fuzzy and distorted synths scattered amongst engaging electronics and layered vocal textures set the scene for a mesmerising and indulgent soundscape.
The track has the ability to put listeners into a dream like state with it's smooth production, contemporary melodies, rich grooves and an intoxicating 1975-esque instrumental break thrown in for good measure. It's clear to see that Pastel Stereo have a distinctive and stellar sound which will see them rise through the ranks as ones to watch.
The band explain,
"We recorded both songs in Los Angeles during the same intense songwriting/recording session with our producer Colin Brittain. Most of the lyrics were written during the session and the rest of the song came together naturally. We wanted the guitar riff to sound cool but simple, something a kid practicing playing guitar would want to learn. It’s about insecurities and not knowing how to convey your feelings for someone into words. Everyone knows how awkward and in retrospect ridiculous adolescent love and relationships can be. This song gives off serious teen movie vibes. The person in the song is trying to make his love interest fall for him and trying to make her laugh by acting like a fool.”
Directed by Eric Rojas with cinematography by Mike Koziel the video accompanying the single was shot at Bombay Beach in California. Shot in 6 hours, the band found a location that looked like an abandoned city with dilapidated and deserted buildings and cars and spray paintings - like straight out of a horror film.
Since their debut, the band have developed a strong following across socials, joining Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter as well as making their phone number available to fans. They say,
“People can text us and we have many WhatsApp groups. Fans send messages and keep in touch a lot! Discord is the biggest chat platform atm, there we have PASTELLERS pastel stereo group, with nearly 2.000 followers and growing every day. We have weekly live video chats with people following us. A lot of new friendships have been born there!”
Formed at a music summer camp by Eemeli and Mikael, the band’s lineup was completed when Eemeli recruited high school friends Leo to play bass and Aslak to play drums. The band’s demos found their way to producer and songwriter Colin Brittain - known for his dynamic, genre-bending productions, including platinum LPs and singles for artists such as 5 Seconds of Summer, All Time Low, Avicii and Papa Roach - who invited them to make music with him. The band flew to Los Angeles and started working with Colin to define their sound, alongside a team of writers including Chris Greatti and Elijah Noll.
'The Joker' is out now. Listen HERE @pastelstereo
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