Cinematic and stunning, the empowering “Pressure” sees San Diego’s Creature Canyon soaring with searing psych rock passion in a song about breaking up, getting better, and moving forward.
Stream: “Pressure” – Creature Canyon
Our song ‘Pressure’ is about recognizing destructive patterns in your life and the struggle it takes to break free of them, with fear and doubt clouding your judgment
“You’ve got the heart of an alligator crawling out,” sings Creature Canyon’s Austin Steele in the band’s exhilarating new single. “And I should tell you, I can’t find the reason why…. If the fear’s alive, we won’t survive it.” Guitars swell and drums clap a sweet, entrancing beat as the surrounding energy rises to a fever pitch. Just when you think they’ve hit their peak, the band dig a little deeper and fly a little higher, with rich harmonies and irresistible grooves leading the charge. It’s a moment of truth for all, both in sound and story: Cinematic and stunning, the empowering “Pressure” sees Creature Canyon soaring with searing psych rock passion in a song about breaking up, getting better, and moving forward.
Been waiting outside
Under the street light
No time to waste
It’s well past midnight now
Oh we’ve both been here before
You don’t believe me
So you keep on calling
You’ve got the heart of an alligator crawling out
And I should tell you
I can’t find the reason why
And I don’t know why I even try
Should I tell you now or should I fly?
If the fear’s alive we won’t survive it
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering the audio and music video for “Pressure,” Creature Canyon’s first track of the year. An indie rock band with a penchant for sweet psychedelia, Creature Canyon currently consists of Austin Steele (vocals, guitar), Ryan Amyot (guitar), Kyle Victoria (drums), Aaron Lund (bass), and Luc Fralic (keyboards, percussion).
In premiering Creature Canyon’s 2018 single “Hurricane,” Atwood Magazine’s Luke Pettican praise the band’s ability to capture what hecalled the “distinct, unsettling rollercoaster of emotions that love thrusts upon us in an exceptional fashion”: “Pleasant, buoyant guitar rhythms represent a sense of elated jubilation whilst the song’s scintillating lyrics depict love’s darker, more difficult side. The interplay of different emotions throughout is illuminatingly intoxicating.”
Creature Canyon sound as fresh as ever four years later, with a strong pep in their step as they weave their way through thick emotions and bright tapestries of sound. “Pressure” is an especially evocative offering, with its catchy pre-chorus leading into a particularly evocative refrain that reckons with the familiar throes of a relationship’s end:
Should I go and hide and run from you?
Should I go and fight if it’s not true?
Cause I can’t take the heat
If it’s all up to me
And it’s all up to me
Away oh away
““Our song ‘Pressure’ is about recognizing destructive patterns in your life and the struggle it takes to break free of them, with fear and doubt clouding your judgment,” Creature Canyon tell Atwood Magazine. “Our hope is to empower and inspire the listener to realize they have the strength to overcome whatever difficult situation they may be facing, while also inspiring them to hit the dance floor.”
In addition to being their first release of the year, “Pressure” also arrives with a colorful, compelling music video directed by the band’s friend, artist and multi-instrumentalist Elise Trouw. “‘Pressure’ is the first music video I’ve ever directed outside of my own work as an artist,” Trouw says. “Working with Creature Canyon was both exciting and inspiring. I spent a few days with the band at my studio in San Diego shooting the different scenes, then we spent a lot of time going back and forth on the edits remotely, specifically the green screen shots. In the end, it felt like a true collaboration. I’m so glad the band brought me in for this project and trusted me throughout the process to represent their music visually.”
Waiting on the call
Writing’s on the wall
I know
I must’ve been here before
The pressure’s rising
Splitting through the seams
Of all our good times
Won’t be hypnotizing me
And I should tell you
The kaleidoscopic effects and hues in the music video feel like an accurate representation not only of the band’s psychedelic aesthetic, but also of the inner turmoil they sing about through their particularly evocative lyrics. “Pressure” owns its namesake, plundering the depths of self and reeling through the changes in a quick-fading romance that leaves us needing to rediscover ourselves and find a new footing. It’s its own encapsulated journey of self-discovery, fueled by love and loss, emotional brooding and strain. “Waiting on the call, writing’s on the wall… we’re not enemies, but I know who you are,” we hear in the song’s breakdown. That relationship tension is manifest through a steady build-up of musical energy that bubbles to a fever pitch, ultimately spilling over in a charged finale that leaves us spellbound, inspired, and hungry for more slick grooves and sweet sounds.
For all the emotional drama, “Pressure” just makes us want to dance and sing at the top of our lungs. Rather than imploring us to dwell in our own dark spaces, it compels us to throw our cares away and revel in Creature Canyon’s blissful escape. Watch the video and get lost in song via the link below, streaming exclusively on Atwood Magazine.
I can’t find the reason why
And I don’t know why I even try
Should I tell you now or should I fly?
If the fear’s alive we won’t survive
Should I go and hide and run from you?
Should I go and fight if it’s not true?
Cause I can’t take the heat
If it’s all up to me
And it’s all up to me
Away oh away
— —
:: stream/purchase Creature Canyon here ::
Stream: “Pressure” – Creature Canyon
— — — —
Connect to Creature Canyon on
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Discover new music on Atwood Magazine
? © Jordan Dudenhoeffer
:: Stream Creature Canyon ::
