For a band whose usual inspirations are slasher films and trips to the arcade, this moment in their career feels muted, but it is a welcomed muting with soft textures that are easy to love.
Fascinations Grand Chorus, a New Jersey output that is on-the-rise, have a new EP is out tomorrow that ready to be experienced by the masses, but not before sharing a bit of insight into the three songs that make this glittering mini-record what it is.
What is it, you ask? It is a brand new, oh-so timely, pop-infused, retro-leaning record that is as buoyant in its melodies as it is driven, determined, and honest indie rock work. There is a warmth and a groove to the tunes that this pair have created, and that romantic air is not lost on them as they sing, “A dream we wove when sending in the night / a neon symphony / a universal pageant of delight.” They, the duo of Stephanie Cupo and Andrew Pierce, feel how these songs shine – not just in upbeat musicality, but in message. Summer Love, as an EP, is wonderful, simply put, and showcases a singer-songwriter duo at their best: letting their walls down and trading in distinctive darkness for nostalgic light.
Summer Love
“In 2022, we released a horror/slasher concept album entitled Terror In The Night. This song idea was developing around then, but was originally a deep-cut reference song about the Packanack Lodge from Friday the 13th Part 2. When we decided to go in a more vague direction for that album, the idea went unused, but we still liked it. We thought it could be a fun, upbeat rock song, and it became ‘Summer Love.’ We knew we wanted a four-on-the-floor drum beat with lots of percussion and harmonies, and we also specifically wanted to reference the guitar solo on ‘Lightning Strikes’ by Lou Christie. Overall, we were happy how summery it became.”
Neon Symphony
“This song started as an instrumental idea we couldn’t let go of and finally landed at something inspired by ‘Wait’ by The Beatles combined with a Mary Weiss vocal approach and a Ronnie Spector-inspired outro. Really; it’s a love letter to everything we like aesthetically – from The Shangri-Las to the crazy theme park spectacle names of the eighties, like Epcot’s Laserphonic Fantasy. The song itself is sort of a sonic spectacle – ideally, it’s a song version of a fireworks and laser show.”
When Summer Is Through
“The goal of this song was trying to capture pre-Pet Sounds era Beach Boys songwriting. They would always drop in these beautiful summer ballads to fill out their early albums. They weren’t the singles or the hits, but they were always highlights and are still underappreciated. We also liked the bittersweet culmination of summer theme.”
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