‘Bag In Hand’ might well be the debut single from Power Down, but it brings will it decades of musical talent and prowess, in its tale of longing, detachment, and surrender.
Power Down, aka Dan Voss Jr. and Aaron “Zeus” Zepeda, first met while they were working with Bob Margouleff, the electronic music pioneer behind Stevie Wonder’s award-winning albums, and the result was an incredible musical chemistry. Although they’re separated in age by a couple of decades, this is magic in the studio, with each bringing their own distinct perspective. Voss Jr. brings an ’80s and ’90s rock edge, while Zeus drives their sound forward, with fresh, modern textures.
‘Bag In Hand’ feels like a track from a cyberpunk film; it would slot with ease into ‘Blade Runner 2049’, for example. With shimmering synths, distorted rhythms, and climactic harmonies, it’s intense, with a tempo that pulses with urgency, telling the story of the thoughts of someone chasing after a lover, despite the latter having, in their mind, already left the relationship. The anticipation builds throughout the track, leading the listener to realise that the pair might be drifting apart for good. With emotionally-charged vocals, the desperation of the protagonist is heightened, being torn apart through the loneliness and constant waiting. Nonetheless, he vows to remain her “audience of one”, even while feeling totally hopeless, because, “sometimes in love, you let them run”.
‘Bag In Hand’ is given the anime treatment for the music video, brought to life by Aaron “Zeus” Zepeda. He directed an anime-style micro-drama, brimful of tension and heart. At the start, the two lovers seem inseparable, hugging, kissing, and sharing smiles together, but things soon change, when the girl walks out the door, and onto a stage, where she sits atop a swing, with black feathered wings on her shoulders. The boy is trapped inside a giant bubble, separated fro all that is real, lost in his own head, and unable to break free. She moves on without him, but he can’t bear to lose her. He rushes to her next performance, but fails to reach her before the curtain falls. By that time, she’s already left, gone on tour, following her own story and chasing her own spotlight.
Watch the moving music video for ‘Bag In Hand’ below, and find out more about Power Down and their music online on their official website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
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