SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: THE FIRST HUMANS – “STUNNED”

THE FIRST HUMANS – “STUNNED”

A SPILL EXCLUSIVE MUSIC PREMIERE

This Friday, arresting Edmonton-based Dreampop venture The First Humans introduces the outfit’s debut single, “Stunned”. The solo project is helmed by songwriter Jesse Crowley, and takes its first steps upright with a fusion of warm, lo-fi layers, glitchy dystopian indie rock guitar riffs, and Crowley’s impassioned baritone vocals.

“[It] comes across as a coming of age tale of superficial spiritual infatuation; a cautionary tract that warily observes the perils of Romantic idealism and idyllic notions of relationship. It also invokes Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson” and Stephen Hawking – a pairing that now seems so obvious I was shocked no-one had ever attempted it before,” Crowley says.

Crowley has long been immersed in the realm of songwriting and performance, establishing himself as a fixture in the vibrant arts scene of Edmonton, Alberta. Notably, he has recently been responsible for the exhilarating electric guitar melodies in Grindstone Theatre’s original Fringe production ThunderCATS! and Jason Kenney’s Hot Boy Summer, the critically acclaimed political satire musical that toured Alberta, Canada in 2021 and 2022, garnering eight Sterling Award nominations. With these and other stage show contributions in the rear view mirror (he also scored a Samuel Beckett-inspired Sonic the Hedgehog one-act play) Crowley has recently directed his focus towards a series of single releases slated for 2023, under the moniker The First Humans.

Over the past 12 months, Crowley, together with his former high-school bandmate-turned-producer Aaron Sabourin, has deliberated his attention to the forthcoming string of releases, which will chronicle The First Humans’ steps toward self-actualization. As the project’s lead artist responsible for songwriting and creative direction, Crowley views his collaboration with Sabourin as the catalyst unlocking The First Humans’ evolutionary journey.

The Edmonton native, who will be playing a series of solo shows on a brief tour of the Maritimes this summer, describes his style as being “supped on Fleetwood Mac, tranquilised by Bon Iver, and re-animated with Indie Rock guitar buzzings.” The First Humans debut single, Stunned, will be released on June 30th, 2023 on all major streaming platforms.

“The big creative milestone here, for me – despite basically never stopping with writing and recording – is breaking through the self-sabotage that keeps you from getting through to the end. I’m my own worst enemy in this respect, but the good guy won in this one – I feel very proud of this release. It gets to be the first one out of the gate,” he says.

The First Humans
[Single]
(Independent)
Release Date: June 30, 2023

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