The Rising Souls are a band I’m incredibly grateful to have discovered – once again, the wonder that is 2Seas Sessions have introduced audiences to something special
Rock
The ways we try to deal with loss can be vast & varied. For me, a piece of art or music, like this, offers a feeling of possibility & understanding; it makes you realise the inevitability of change.
You don’t get too many rock songs or songs from any genre these days that take something so interesting & unexpected & re-imagine it in a new form.
A beautiful moment, encouraging & all-inclusive, making you feel inclined to join in. Easy to picture a live performance sweeping a crowd off their feet.
It’s best to stick with people who love & understand you, through that you”ll find the peace you are searching for with time. It might be best to also stop hurting yourself with your own thoughts too.
You know for certain that you’ve experienced something extraordinary when you listen to this album in full. It’s a fascinating collection that really holds tight to your attention & provokes deep consideration of the ideas within.
Showcasing Komie’s superb guitar playing, but more than this – creating around you a colourful, detailed, emotional soundscape, within which you can completely forget about your concerns for a while.
The band create complex & provocative soundscapes around you, occasionally making you forget the instrumentation of it & consider this far more of a producer’s catalogue.
It feels like a totally natural progression for the band to take their music in this direction. The singer is fantastic, bringing the thick, powerful vocals of classic rock to a gentle & emotional soundscape.
The simple & universal message of the song is beautifully conveyed: Live now, for you, because everyone dies. Calling on the sounds of 90’s & early ‘00s alternatives, Zhiaojiabang is the Senses Fail for the new generation.
I think great live performances are imperative to success as an artist & it’s actually what I’m most comfortable with. I grew up super shy with really bad stage fright – I learned & have done more live performances than I’ve recorded.
There are some extremely distinctive threads throughout J. Hunter’s songs – his writing style is incredibly poetic, observational, and reflective, and his voice has a familiarity that drives the whole collection with a comforting touch of character.