Long Island’s Local Nomad captures the inner tension and stress of balancing our needs with those of our loved ones in his new single “Gates,” a dynamic and heartfelt anthem of friendship and connection.
for fans of Cage The Elephant, Foster The People, Wilco
Stream: “Gates” – Local Nomad
This song is about trying to help someone out of a dark place, and the different hurdles we need to jump to overcome hardship.
How do we help those in our lives who need it most, when we ourselves are deep in our own struggles? This timeless question has no direct answer, but it is one we are all eventually forced to confront. Some of us will be young when the call comes, and others may be luckier and have more time; nevertheless, we will all eventually find ourselves torn between self-interest and selflessness, and the options will be far less black-and-white than what’s been laid out above.
Long Island’s Local Nomad captures the inner tension and stress of balancing our needs with those of our loved ones in his new single “Gates,” a dynamic and heartfelt anthem of friendship and connection. No one has an easy answer to these real-life coming-of-age challenges, yet that’s what makes a song like “Gates” so special and important: It helps us think deeper about our loved ones, considering the nature of our relationships and what we are willing to do in someone else’s darkest moments.
Blood moon on the rise
Got her hips to the skies
Blackout blue lights
New York on fire
When that sun comes up
Would you pick me up
Would you take me home
Can’t be alone
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Gates,” Local Nomad’s second single of the year following his riveting 2020 debut “Love Is Gone,” and the latest release off upcoming EP GATES. The indie pop venture of Long Island’s Michael Desmond (formerly frontman of orchestral indie rock band, Gabriel the Marine), Local Nomad introduced his project in 2017 with the Eighty Six EP and briefly returned with last year’s “Dying Breed,” featuring Jenna Desmond.
Citing influences as varied as Tears For Fears, Elvis Costello, and Phil Collins, Local Nomad’s music is lush and immediate. His brand of indie pop leaves room for breathing, while recalling the likes of Wilco and Real Estate, Bad Suns, and even Arcade Fire to some extent. He describes himself as “a dad rock powerhouse who shakes hands with pop—with two fingers crossed behind the back—breaking a promise to adhere to the mainstream of the genre, fusing it with delivery of indie-rock electricity.”
Gates, I’ve been trying so hard
to get through 28
Never knew before I met you
You just wait
Every wall I cannot get through
I’ll escape
I’ve been trying so hard to get you
No one knows you like I know you
No one knows you like I know you
2020 is coming up to be Local Nomad’s year, and no better song exemplifies that than pulsing “Gates.”
The title track to his upcoming EP offers a buoyant burst of energy while presenting all the best aspects of Local Nomad’s artistry: His expressive lyricism, smooth vocal clarity, compelling melodies, and immersive sonic tapestries. We hear a strained soul striving to balance being there for someone else, while also being there for himself in a heartfelt, aching chorus: “You just wait, every wall I cannot get through, I’ll escape. I’ve been trying so hard to get you; no one knows you like I know you.“
This tension never abates, instead building with every passing verse to a new boiling point as the artist continues to juggle the demands that can so often pull us in opposite directions at once:
Baby sink or swim
I’ma fight to win
Been an underdog
But we keep it analog
And if we say goodbye
Just for a little while
I’ll come back to you
Like you knew I would
“I wrote ‘Gates’ about trying to get through the age of 28 and helping my friend battle Xanax withdrawals,” Local Nomad tells Atwood Magazine. “At the time I was gigging 6 nights a week, working a 9 to 5, and driving to New Jersey every weekend to write music with and support this friend. One day while in a session I was given an ultimatum that I could either go buy a bottle of Jack to keep the recording going, or we would stop working on music for the weekend. We bounced out the track and took a ride to the liquor store. As we pulled out of the driveway, I noticed the number of my friends house was 28… the street sign was ‘Gates.’”
He continues, “On our way to the liquor store I wrote the first verse and top line in my car. ‘No one knows you like I know you.‘ That drive fused the chorus and verse lyrics together. A song that sounded romantic became an anthem of friendship. Ultimately this song is about trying to help someone out of a dark place, and the different hurdles we need to jump to overcome hardship.”
A song that sounded romantic became an anthem of friendship.
Forget the pain
Forget the past
Forget your friends
They’ll never last
Forget the noise
That’s in your head
Forget the world
Love me instead
Forget the drugs
They’ll never work
We only end up feeling worse
Forget the voices in your head
Fuck every word they said
There is no single way to best help a friend in need – and unfortunately, time doesn’t offer much guidance on this topic. What’s most important is that we are there for those whom we love and cherish; that we listen to them, and offer what we can – whether it’s time and presence, or some other resource. With its intimate message full of love and strain, “Gates” never quite finds the right balance, but that’s okay: No one’s asking for perfection, only that we try.
A stellar offering off what is sure to be a fantastic sophomore EP, “Gates” registers Local Nomad as a surefire artist-to-watch in 2020 and an act we can’t wait to follow in the months to come!
Stream the new song exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and connect to the artist below!
Gates, I’ve been trying so hard
to get through 28
Never knew before I met you
You just wait
Every wall I cannot get through
I’ll escape
I’ve been trying so hard to get you
No one knows you like I know you
No one knows you like I know you, yeah
No one knows you like I know you
No one knows you like I know you
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:: stream/purchase “Gates” here ::
Stream: “Gates” – Local Nomad
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