A cinematic psychedelic experience, Strawberry Launch’s self-titled debut EP is a hazy, sunny, vibey wonder perfect for the heat of summer.
for fans of Crumb, Harry Styles, Tennis
Stream: “She” – Strawberry Launch
We wanted to create this spacey, inviting soundscape and tell our stories.
A cinematic psychedelic experience, Strawberry Launch’s debut EP is a hazy, sunny, vibey wonder: Radiant, energetic, and invigorating, the New York City newcomers spring to life on their self-titled Strawberry Launch, an engaging six-track immersion that blends psych, rock, and pop elements into a glorious controlled chaos – a truly glistening wonder of coalescent sound and feeling.
She has two left feet
And her hair never falls the right way
But no one ever said theres a right way to fall
She keeps an eye on the prize
And the other one on her good side
Doesn’t wanna let her mom down
She makes me feel like I’m half the night
And I could never dream without you
She makes me feel like I’m half alive
My heart could never beat without you
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering Strawberry Launch, independently out August 6, 2021. The first extended player from the band of the same name is an enchanting, enthralling indulgence: Heated emotions and carefully-cultivated sonics whip up, down, and all around as the East Village, Manhattan-based Regan McCroskey, Taylor Hurt, Matrianna Gahol, Abby Flicker and Benjy Berkowitz (otherwise known as Riiza, Tilly, Mat, Abby, and Benjy) introduce themselves and their distinctive, shimmering rock sound.
Produced by Tiger Darrow and mastered by Evan Wilber, Strawberry Launch balances emotional depth with sonic experimentation and exploration: Opening track “Crystal Eyes” is a trippy hypnosis that intentionally makes us feel like we’re setting off on an interstellar Pink Floyd-esque adventure, setting the tone for all that’s to come.
From the sweet “She” and the buoyant, bouncy “Fork,” to the charged passions roaring throughout “Sophie” and “That’s on Me,” Strawberry Launch establishes a diverse, yet impressively cohesive sonic signature. Inspired by artists like Crumb, Khruangbin, Pinegrove, “and even a little Harry Styles,” Strawberry Launch cast a wide net, embracing astral synths and guitar tones, big pop harmonies and melodies, and cathartic chorus crescendos that amount to massive simultaneous releases emotion and music. This is especially palpable in the EP’s potent closer “The Sun,” which concludes the record with style in a dynamic, heart-on-sleeve outpouring of expression.
I stare at the sun cause I know
You’re staring at it somewhere
It keeps me warm when I am cold
And I am lonely
Just like how It keeps you warm
Somewhere too
Shimmers on the snow
Shimmers on the lake
Shimmers on my skin
Shimmers on my face
I stare at the sun cause I know
You’re staring at it somewhere
– “The Sun,” Strawberry Launch
“We’ve been together for almost three years now, and we didn’t start putting out music until a year in,” Strawberry Launch tell Atwood Magazine. “We wanted to learn how to work together and play great shows before we existed on the internet. It feels amazing to finally put out our first real body of work. Our fans have been begging for studio versions of these songs, since many of them already know these by heart by coming to gigs.”
“We wanted to create this spacey, inviting soundscape and tell our stories. It’s important to us that the EP sounds similar to our live shows so that our diehard fans feel like they’re listening to the same song (with some extra embellishments) and that our new fans come to our shows and hear the same thing as they do on the record. Authenticity is really important to us, and making sure the EP translates to our live shows was top priority. We’re all just good friends who got lucky and found each other, so we hope the same rings true when people find the EP.”
Nothing sparks the heat of summer like a hearty dose of soaring, authentic, and astral psychedelic rock – and Strawberry Launch have given us permission to fly off into space, with their songs as the backdrop to our own sun-soaked escape. Experience the full record via our exclusive stream, and peek inside Strawberry Launch’s Strawberry Launch EP with Atwood Magazine as the band goes track-by-track through the music and lyrics of their debut EP!
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Stream: ‘Strawberry Launch’ – Strawberry Launch
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:: Inside Strawberry Launch ::
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“Crystal Eyes“
This is an original instrumental, created by Matrianna. We workshopped it together to fit our live sets, but it became such an awesome introduction into what Strawberry Launch is. It sets the tone for the whole EP.
“She“
This was actually written well before Strawberry Launch was even a group. It sat as a demo for a while and was one of the first songs we worked into our set. We love having a song dedicated to all the women in our lives who helped shape us. It’s just a big thank you for everything they did to bring us together.
“Fork“
It’s all about online dating. Riiza has all kinds of stories about her dating life, so we wrote about her experience. Online dating is so messy, and it’s hard to know who’s right for you and who’s not. Sometimes you think, “maybe there’s something wrong with me? What am I doing wrong?” when usually, that person just isn’t for you!
“Sophie“
Riiza noticed that one of her old flames had a new girlfriend, and the song just kind of poured out of her. There’s some dissonance going on in the chorus between the harmonies, and it’s the perfect detail to convey the emotional struggle of wanting that old flame to be happy, but wondering if you still mean anything to them. And of course, who doesn’t love a good guitar solo?
“That’s on Me“
Another song that existed long before Strawberry Launch. You really never forget your first love, especially when they come back to you for one more night. This song has had such a journey. It was written years ago in Nashville between Riiza and a friend of hers, and it morphed from this sweet country ballad into a gut-wrenching rock song. It’s been amazing to hear this song grow with us over the years.
“The Sun“
This is actually a remake of our very first song we ever released digitally. Our original was a demo that we decided to just put out. It was so well received, but there were some things about it we didn’t get perfect the first time around, so we’ve redone it to give our fans the full experience. ‘The Sun’ is all about feeling connected to people you love, even when they aren’t physically with you by the elements of the earth.
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Stream: ‘Strawberry Launch’ – Strawberry Launch
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? © Will Montgomery
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