WATERMEDOWN, the solo project of 21-year old vocalist/guitarist Jonny Mays, has signed to Equal Vision Records and is premiering his music video for "Serenity" now on YouTube. The track comes from his new EP, Somewhere Sleepless, which will be out on Sept. 25.
As his first studio-recorded release, Somewhere Sleepless EP pushes WATERMEDOWN into new musical territory that builds and expands on his intense signature sound. Mays' vocal work throughout the EP showcases emotional rawness with a visceral force, effortlessly building from a delicate, near-whisper to a quivering, heart-wrenching shout.
"I am beyond excited and fortunate to be signing to EVR! They're one of the few labels that I can recall loving since I was in middle school, with so many artists on their current and alumni roster that hold a place in my heart as my all time favorite bands," shares Mays. "And I'm really stoked about releasing the new EP! It's been behind the scenes since March of this year and it's definitely my proudest work so far. With EVR behind it, I'm confident that it's in good hands."
"The lyrics for ‘Serenity’ were written in my car, about an hour before tracking vocals for the song with Jay Zubricky (James Taylor, Pentimento, Every Time I Die) at GCR Audio in Buffalo, NY. The instrumentals had already been recorded, and the day before I had attempted tracking vocals with lyrics I had previously intended to put to the song, but my voice was really hoarse, which really bummed me out," Mays reveals of the new single.
"I think it was just from not resting or training it prior to going into the studio, but it left me really thinking about the idea of my voice one day blowing out completely and not being able to sing anymore. I ended up scrapping about 90% of the old lyrics and instead turned the song into a disclaimer to anyone listening that I'm singing and shouting really loudly to stand out and grab attention, and that audacity could one day fade and die amongst the fact that we all one day fade and die. The concluding message though, is that I'm going to persist for as long as I can for the sake of my own expression, no matter how many people ultimately care in the end."
To date, WATERMEDOWN has toured and shared stages with the likes of Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties, You Me & Everyone We Know and Bonfires. Fall and winter tour dates will announced soon.
For more information, visit facebook.com/WATERMEDOWN.
