SHANNON INOUYE – “HOLIDAYS”
[SINGLE]Β (December 30, 2016)
Independent
January 6, 2017
Shannon Inouye sings, writes and plays in the Los Angeles based Psych-Rock band, Emerson Star. With beautiful brotherly harmonies and intricate songwriting, Emerson Star often finds itself in a middle ground somewhere between Tame Impala and Wilco, but Inouyeβs new solo project offers a collection of songs written in a much different vein. They provide intimate and, at times, voyeuristic, snapshots of his personal life. βHolidays,β the first single out off the debut EP, is a delicateΒ Alt-Country rocker. Accompanied by weeping lap steel and a backbone of simple, swaying bass, the tune is quick (2:30) and dirty, catchy and a nice cathartic release.
Shannon Inouye tells us, βI recorded five songs with my childhood friend and producer, Garret Lang. We finished the basic tracks in one day, trying to capture as much honesty as we could. We recorded the guitar and vocal tracks at the same time, using full takes. Then Garret got some very talented friends to come in and add some additional elements. I imagine the track βHolidaysβ speaks to a lot of people, struggling through what can often be a very difficult time of year. This season can dig up unwanted memories, and thatβs a big part of what this EP is about. Trying to forget can be like climbing out of a tar pit. The more you struggle the more stuck you get.β