“Caught in someone else’s kind of love,” Gavin McGee’s debut studio project, explores the uncomfortable side of desire distracted by vulnerable moments of optimism and self-actualization in his incisive five-song EP. Brimming with folk-inspired earworm melodies and playful, familiar-feeling vocals, “What Was Will Be Again” is a piercing collection of raw indie-rock ballads guided by heart-melting lyrics that pull you from one end to the other.
The 24-year-old singer/songwriter and producer grew up in Norwalk, CT before moving to Pittsburgh, PA, and finding the indie/folk/emo underground scene where he met bandmates Jacob Zang and Jacob Stretch (the Jakes). After releasing his home recordings in 2022, McGee opened for Dualtone Records’ indie-rock hit band flipturn (2022) and most recently Boston-based funk pop band Couch (2024). Today, he laughingly refers to himself as a “Zach Bryan who joined the Backseat Lovers”. Between rotting basements and college campuses – McGee grew a small following of ardent fans and dedicated a year to recording his debut studio project at the Red Caiman Studios in Pittsburgh, PA.
Instead of blending Modern American Folk with early 2010’s Alt-Rock, McGee smashed them together using nostalgic storytelling to glue the colliding worlds in the opening track “Not A Friend”. When asked about his approach, he says, “I’m obsessed with symmetry in storytelling. I wanted to start the record by paying homage to some of the classic indie tropes I grew up with before leaning into this more contemporary, almost country-leaning palette I’ve been fascinated by lately”.
The lead single “Loan” explores expectation and exploitation. In a life where growing up seems inevitable, the light-hearted indie ambiance contrasts with the somber lyricism. The story is about a girl who wants to escape the constant demand for her body, her attention, and her love.
She doesn’t want any money / no she just wants a place that she can call her home
She doesn’t want any money / no she doesn’t want to have to take your loan
Followed by a pause, a moment somewhere between two and twenty years ago when you were too scared to approach the (maybe) love of your life at that party in what’s-his-names basement. “I Can’t Know” is a retrospective look at the conversation you wish you had. The internal dialogue recognizes its ignorance and purposefully declares the many assumptions as fact while claustrophobic guitars progressively build in the background. At 1:17 the track is fully realized, growing into an anthemic teenage daydream that, in the end, is reminded of its initial anxiety.
On “Hydrangeas”, McGee envisions an idyllic life in the suburbs in opposition to the growling city streets. The small-room-inspired introduction is filled with flowy layers of plucked electric guitars, roomy drums, and a steel pedal that gently tethers listeners from moment to moment. The track grows into a guitar-driven rock and sway, filled with movement and a busy bass line that pushes listeners against the down-beat groove.
The EP concludes with the slow-burning indie-rock epic “Madison”. Heart-wrenching lyrics and a powerful vocal performance sits above thunderous drums and hypnotic acoustic guitars. The Mid Western Emo-styled riffs evoke listeners to zone out and individually experience the music. The slowly built tension is transformed into a cathartic and explosive ending at 3:10, an intoxicating finale that is sure to make listeners want to replay and repeat.
Music Credits: Gavin McGee (Vocals, Songwriter, Producer), Jesse Naus (Producer, Mixing & Mastering), Jacob Zang (Guitar), Alex Weibel (Bass, Slide Guitar), Henry Shultz (Organ, Electric Piano), Jake Stretch (Drums)
Streaming September 25, 2024
Gallery & Photos: https://imgavin.org/about
Press Contact: gavinmcgeemusic@gmail.com
