A supercharged alt-rock anthem for hopeless romantics everywhere, Cartoon Hearts’ debut single “legs” soars with visceral passion and raw energy as the band erupt with a catchy, cathartic heart-on-sleeve upheaval.
for fans of The Killers, The 1975, Hippo Campus
Stream: “legs” – Cartoon Hearts
Throw me from this bridge, let me sink, let me swim, I assure you… I still adore you…
Being a hopeless romantic has for too long been associated with broken hearts and crushed dreams.
What about the excitement of falling in love and the thrill of infatuation? What about the beauty of raw vulnerability and sharing your full self with someone special? There are folks who will say going “all in” dooms you from the start, but for those us who wear our hearts on our sleeves, going “all in” is the hallmark of true intimacy – it’s the risk you take in looking not just for love in the moment, but for love everlasting – a soulmate; a life partner.
Life isn’t a fairytale, but you get what you give – so why not give it all you’ve got? Cartoon Hearts’ debut single breaks free of stereotypes and expectations, daring us to view vulnerability as a strength rather than a crutch.
A supercharged alt-rock anthem for hopeless romantics everywhere, “legs” soars with visceral passion and raw energy as Cartoon Hearts roar out of the gate, demanding our attention with a catchy, cathartic heart-on-sleeve upheaval.
Has this thing got the legs,
or were we doomed from the start?
As we came ’round the bend,
life was tearing us apart
Maybe one day I’ll learn how
to control this Cartoon Heart
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “legs,” the exhilarating debut single from Bay Area band Cartoon Hearts. The brand new project from Jay Chiorean (Rove; Careful, Brother), Cartoon Hearts is (to say the very least) a labor of love. Together with Randy Moore on bass and Henry Chadwick on drums, Chiorean spills his soul into songs that are both intimate and intense – the product of his own heart’s reeling.
“legs” is the lead single off the band’s forthcoming self-released debut album Falling Out of Love Overnight, which Chiorean calls a “record is about pain and heartbreak, but it’s also meant to inspire hope, as well as encourage self-reflection and acceptance… Loving and losing is part of life. Sometimes, someone comes into your life who isn’t meant to stay in your life. Sometimes things just aren’t meant to be. And that’s okay.”
Chiorean and co. hold nothing back in their musical debut, lighting up with a radiant alt-rock sound akin to songs like “Sex” and “The City” from The 1975’s debut album: Glistening electric guitars churn and riff all around as a relentless drum beat pulses a dynamic beat. The band suck us into their euphoric fervor, and no sooner have they begun than we find ourselves singing along to the song’s infectious chorus:
Throw me from this bridge
Let me sink, let me swim
I assure you, I’ll still adore you
Throw me to the wolves
Take my skin, take my bones
I assure you, I’ll still adore you
It’s insatiable; it’s intoxicating; it’s unapologetic; it’s one hell of an introduction.
“Cartoon Hearts is the love child of self-reflection and unhealthy coping mechanisms,” Jay Chiorean tells Atwood Magazine. “It was born out of desperation to understand and process a kind of pain I had never felt before. It was the result of me recognizing and confronting the things about myself I needed to change while learning to love the things I can’t. I wrote this whole record in the span of three months, during one of the most difficult times of my life. About a year ago, I had my heart broken in a way I’d never experienced. It caught me completely off guard, and I had no idea how to deal with it. I was lost and spiraling fast. I fell into a deep, dark hole and didn’t know how to get out.”
“After many failed attempts at drowning the hurt, I decided to put pen to paper in order to try and make sense of everything I was feeling. At the start, I didn’t have any sort of vision musically; it was purely a therapeutic exercise. Every day was a struggle, and writing was the only thing that got me through. Eventually, as I filled more and more pages, I became more intentional with my writing, and the record slowly started to take shape.”
Has this thing got the legs,
or were we doomed from the start?
As lovers and as friends,
life was ready to tear us apart
Maybe one day I’ll learn
how to control this Cartoon Heart
Throw me from this bridge
Let me sink, let me swim
I assure you, I’ll still adore you Throw me to the wolves
Take my skin, take my bones I assure you, I’ll still adore you
“‘legs’ was the third song I wrote for the record, but I immediately knew it was the single,” he continues. “It’s the Cartoon Hearts anthem and sets the tone for the record. The chorus perfectly captures the essence of a “cartoon heart” – a term I coined to describe my tendency to love too hard, too fast, and way too forgivingly when I’m in a relationship. While I realize this tendency has caused me a lot of potentially avoidable pain, the whole idea behind Cartoon Hearts, and “legs” in particular, is taking something that could be seen as a fault, and reframing it in a positive way. It’s about reclaiming a part of me that I was ready to bury.”
It’s the Cartoon Hearts anthem and sets the tone for the record.
“legs” arrives alongside a cinematic music video that sees a low-key friends karaoke night turn into an electrifying rock show.
It’s an up-close introduction to Cartoon Hearts full of friends, joy, laughter, and celebration – which is, ultimately, the name of the game for this new band: Embracing and celebrating those qualities that are too often seen as weaknesses, but can actually be our greatest strengths.
You called me, I showed up
You begged me to hold up
You cried on my shoulder
Now I’m left out to dry all your tears
while I’m facing my fears alone
“Part of the intention behind the music video is to emphasize that ‘legs’ isn’t some emotional pity party, but rather a proud declaration of who I am, and will always be,” Chiorean says. The line, ‘Maybe one day I’ll learn how to control this cartoon heart,’ is meant to convey a quiet resignation, with an almost sarcastic tone. That’s why, in the video, you see my best friend Natalia burst into my apartment, dancing in a giant heart costume. The video is supposed to be fun and silly, but it also represents my excitement for, and belief in, this project.”
Cartoon Hearts’ debut is irresistible – a reckoning and redemption all in one. So what if it gets messy, and you wind up loving the wrong person with your whole heart? To quote a popular Spanish idiom, it’s worth the pain. Learning to accept and own that truth lies at the core of Cartoon Hearts’ existence, and promises to be a recurring “character” in their music.
The band’s debut album Falling Out of Love Overnight is set to release this Valentine’s Day; today, stream Cartoon Hearts’ “legs” exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
And from now one, call us HOPEFUL romantics.
Throw me to the wolves
Take my skin, take my bones
I assure you, I’ll still adore you
Throw me from this bridge
Let me sink, let me swim
I assure you, I’ll still adore you
Throw me to the wolves (Oh, and you feel alone)
Take my skin, take my bones (Oh, and you feel alone)
I assure you (Oh, and you feel alone)
I’ll still adore you (Oh, and you feel alone)
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:: stream/purchase “legs” here ::
Stream: “legs” – Cartoon Hearts
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? © Natalia Neira
