March 12, 2021
Written By Alexia Abarca
NEW JERSEY NATIVES, HIGHWIND, RELEASE THEIR UPBEAT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY COMFORTING SINGLES "SLEEPLESS IN L.A." AND "WILL YOU PLESE (STAY)"
When we heard that our favorite New Jersey rock band, Highwind, was releasing a new single, let alone TWO, we just knew we had to cover it. We have always gushed over how much we love Highwind here at Punkaganda, and these two singles have only emphasized our love even more.
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First, let's dive into “Will You Please (Stay).” This delicate piece of art filled my heart with so much joy as frontman, Chris Russo’s angelic vocals ring throughout my ears. If you know me, I am the proud owner of a 20 hour playlist of sad songs, this is true, and at first I thought this would be a perfect song to be added to that. Upon further review, we discovered that the melancholic track is a song about finding hope and encouraging others through the challenges they may face in life.
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I know we have all been there before, feeling stuck at the lowest points of our lives and just as we think everything is about to lighten up, another hardship arises. It’s a feeling that is all too familiar to me. “I wrote “Will You Please” as a reminder that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel,” says Russo, “I firmly believe that life always has a weird way of working out. This has been proven to me time and time again. Even when things look bad, there is always comfort in the little things. There is always a positive at the end of every negative that comes your way. At the end of the day, I want my music to be a source of comfort for those who listen to it. And I think this song is as straight to the point about that as I can possibly be.”
When you hear the explanation behind this track, you can't help but get a warm feeling in your chest. I think that it is comforting and important to remind people who are struggling with the difficulties that life throws at us that even though things may be difficult at times, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel; we just have to persevere through life’s trials.
When you hear the explanation behind this track, you can't help but get a warm feeling in your chest. I think that it is comforting and important to remind people who are struggling with the difficulties that life throws at us that even though things may be difficult at times, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel; we just have to persevere through life’s trials.
On to the next track, “Sleepless in L.A.’” which is a whole different vibe from the previous one. I am going to be completely honest here, I do not understand why musicians have an obsession with writing about southern California. Maybe it’s just because I live in the outer parts of Los Angeles and despise it, but at this point I have lost count of how many times someone has said “You live in L.A.? You’re so lucky!” to me.
This upbeat track is so bubbly right from the very beginning, making you want to dance as the first initial note rings out of your speakers. “I’m a fan of very specific podcasts. One of those podcasts is K. Flay’s ‘What Am I Doing Here?’ Some mornings I work very early. Those mornings my brain is usually still waking up on my drive there, and I’m just not ready to handle the music I typically listen to on a daily basis,” says Russo, “So, I listen to podcasts instead. K. Flay’s podcast in particular really helps me think a lot about my life as a musician, the mental issues that I face, and is a very comforting way to keep me grounded and in a good headspace. ‘Sleepless in L.A.’ is about that podcast and how I listen to it during my drives to work in the morning. Sierra Binondo’s verse is supposed to symbolize me listening to the podcast as I drive. I’m very thankful to call Sierra a friend of mine and very thankful to have her on this track.”
The light and airy feeling that this track gave me upon the first initial playthrough, really got me to wake up the next morning so excited to start a new day. “Sleepless in L.A.” really painted a whole new perspective on California for me, even though I have lived in crummy L.A. my whole life, and I can’t wait to blast this on my six A.M drives to work.
This upbeat track is so bubbly right from the very beginning, making you want to dance as the first initial note rings out of your speakers. “I’m a fan of very specific podcasts. One of those podcasts is K. Flay’s ‘What Am I Doing Here?’ Some mornings I work very early. Those mornings my brain is usually still waking up on my drive there, and I’m just not ready to handle the music I typically listen to on a daily basis,” says Russo, “So, I listen to podcasts instead. K. Flay’s podcast in particular really helps me think a lot about my life as a musician, the mental issues that I face, and is a very comforting way to keep me grounded and in a good headspace. ‘Sleepless in L.A.’ is about that podcast and how I listen to it during my drives to work in the morning. Sierra Binondo’s verse is supposed to symbolize me listening to the podcast as I drive. I’m very thankful to call Sierra a friend of mine and very thankful to have her on this track.”
The light and airy feeling that this track gave me upon the first initial playthrough, really got me to wake up the next morning so excited to start a new day. “Sleepless in L.A.” really painted a whole new perspective on California for me, even though I have lived in crummy L.A. my whole life, and I can’t wait to blast this on my six A.M drives to work.
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Overall, these two singles are super solid! Highwind continues to raise the bar higher with each release, exceeding our expectations by the long run. “Sleepless in L.A.” and “Will you Please (Stay)” follow up these New Jersey natives’ track “2023 reimagined” which you can check out our review here. So far, Highwind has engulfed us in the world of “bastardized” pop, alternative rock, etc.; and I have no doubt that they will continue to expand their genre even further. As we wait with baited breath for their next release, these two tracks will be on repeat for as long as we are alive. We have no clue when Highwind plans to reveal what they have next hidden up their sleeve, but we do know one thing; It will not disappoint.
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