With a sound somewhere between alternative and indie rock, while also taking inspiration from shoegaze, punk, and pop, Say Lonely and their new single, ‘The Mariner’, are definitely worth looking into.
Signed to indie label, Mother West, which had its genesis in New York City, but is now based in LA, Say Lonely are off to a great start, Based in Buffalo, all the members of the band have found their way through different musical paths: Sofia Greco taught herself to sing through an early love of musicals, Joel Proulx’s connection to punk rock and guitar started with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Rob Van Saders played in Mother West band Earlymay in the mid 2000s while he was living in New York City. Basically, everyone except Sofia had spent years playing in other bands before coming together as Say Lonely, and they introduce themselves to the world as a collective on ‘The Mariner’, the first release from an album they have spent the last six months recording.
Joel came up with the idea that became ‘The Mariner’ about a year after his previous band split up. He brought the intro and verse into rehearsal, and the band worked out the structure during a single practice. Rob and guitarist Matt Pawleski then took home a phone recording where they developed melodies for different sections, with Rob writing the chorus melody and Matt handling the remaining parts along with all of the lyrics.
They had originally recorded the song with another singer, but she wasn’t quite the right fit for the project. When Sofia joined the band, however, they decided to revisit ‘The Mariner’, and her voice gave them the version they were looking for.
The music video for ‘The Mariner’, directed by Adam Seitz, centres on Say Lonely performing, letting that performance carry it, giving the band and the song room to introduce themselves without adding anything extra to get in the way. It’s simple, and refreshing, and a great first start, leaving us excited for the promised two more singles they will be releasing before the album drops next year.
Check out the music video for ‘The Mariner’ below, and find out more about Say Lonely and their music online on Motherwest’s official website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
