Sped up and slowed down, Lone Kodiak’s latest release is an embodiment of the human spirit: “Calm Down” captures the beauty of continuity, the ticking of clocks, and the circular nature of life.
I will seek out some shelter
from the sleet and the snow
I will learn to forgive her;
I will learn to let go
To let go …
I will speak to my father
about the things he has done
I will sink in the water;
with the river I’ll run
I will run …
“Calm Down” (living room edition) – Lone Kodiak
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/324020298″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering the living room edition for Lone Kodiak’s breakout song “Calm Down,” the lead single off the band’s upcoming debut EP Feet in the Water. The Los Angeles trio of Dainéal Parker, Daniel Alden, and Andrew Smith first came under our radar last year with a series of incredibly unique, evocative cover songs from five different female-fronted acts. In premiering their cover of Daughter’s “Smother” exactly one year ago, we noted Lone Kodiak’s ability to offer an uninhibited level of dynamic and expressive content: “Lone Kodiak open upon a somber environment and utilize dynamic juxtaposition and dark, reverb-laden instrumental build-ups… Lone Kodiak are pensive indie rock.“
One revolution around the sun later, and Lone Kodiak have returned with more new music – only this time, it’s all their own, and it’s utterly mesmerizing. Teaming up with Alex Rhodes on vocals and Stephan Hovsepian on violins, the group’s new song “Calm Down” cuts particularly deep, infusing warmth and light with an intimate depth of personality. The original version is fast-paced and driving, with an unabiding effervescence. Off a B-sides accompaniment EP Face in the Sun, “Calm Down (living room edition)” strips the song down, offering a contrast to the original that reminds us of the brooding, melancholic power of the band’s Daughter cover.
I put my feet in the water
and my face in the sun
I will think of my mother;
she will think of her son
Of her son …
Calm down, tell me what happened
Calm down, calm down
Calm down, tell me
what happened to you back there
“Prior to rebranding as Lone Kodiak, we were Hurry Death, and our music was quiet and understated,” recalls lead singer/guitarist Dainéal Parker. “It wasn’t exactly marketable, but it had a raw, unpolished intimacy to it, along with a decidedly mournful tone that some of our fans have missed as we’ve emerged with a more produced, energetic sound. The “Living Room Edition” versions gave us an opportunity to revisit those roots and provide listeners with a different perspective, one that looks back instead of forward, recalling a time where there was no money and no production to speak of, just a bottle of wine and some friends playing sad, pretty music.”
So that’s what this version of “Calm Down” is: A re-emergence of the band’s roots, a re-centering of gravity, and an indulgence in that which made them who and what they are today. Lone Kodiak have dubbed their latest release as campfire rock, saying it is “intimate and honest enough to be a bedside lullaby while yearning to be an arena smash.” If that’s true of the mainstream single, then this living room edition is a smoldering cry: In the ashes, we see shadows of what once was – what had to transform in order to become what it is today.
Combined, these two sides of “Calm Down” offer a comprehensive image of Lone Kodiak: The group that perseveres against all odds, balancing within them the weight of yesterday and the hope of tomorrow. “Calm Down” is utterly bittersweet, heartfelt and beautiful – a raw, vulnerable ballad that speaks to both human perseverence and transcience.
Join Lone Kodiak on this journey; it’s going to be one heck of a ride.
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:: Stream/Purchase “Calm Down” here ::
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