Introducing Grand Canyon, who released their debut UK single ‘Heart Of Gold’ on 15th April. In an era of computer-made, beat-driven music, the Los Angeles based band, is the antithesis of modern pop music. Focusing on classic sounds and arrangements and drawing on the inspiration of 70s musicianship and timeless songwriting.
‘Heart of Gold’ is the first single from their forthcoming album ‘Forevermore’ released later this year. The band blend rock ‘n’ roll swagger, subtle country warmth, and classic unapologetic pop optimism. Songwriters Joe Guese and Casey Shea turned Shea’s garage into a makeshift studio and taught themselves how to record, engineer, produce, and mix so not to delay the making and release of their new music due to the pandemic.
“I had done some recording on my own, but I have never really properly tried to mix a band album…mix a full drum set, all that sort of stuff,” explains Shea. “I spent the last year and a half teaching myself how to quote-unquote ‘mix’ and record. I’ve made enough albums, and I’ve been in enough rooms to know generally how to produce what I’m hearing in my head, as long as I have somebody that’s a good enough guitar player to play it. Thankfully, Joe is.”
‘Heart Of Gold’ took shape rather mystically after an early draft of the song was attempted. Casey says “We had laid down a bunch of acoustics, and I went for a pass at a rough vocal, so we could have something to listen to overnight. During that take, in between about verse 4 and 5 (and no doubt because the song was dragging and going nowhere) I shouted “Oh Mary, Oh Mary.” And it clicked. The idea to bring it back to the source of all literature: that I was wandering through life lost in the desert, and at the moment when all hope was gone, I meet this Queen-like figure who saves me…in a bar of all places…”
HEART OF GOLD: Listening link to Single
