A split release can offer a great comparison between two acts’ differences and similarities. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for the listener to hear a few songs that aren’t on either’s albums or EPs. On Monday (January 16), Boston indie rock project Holiday Music teams up with the Great Western States, the solo effort of Providence musician Jared Mann (pictured up top) of math rock band Willow and the emo punk act Twin Foxes.
The pair are issuing out a split four-song EP, but a few days before its official release, Vanyaland is unveiling two track’s off the split: Holiday Music’s “Grandeur” and The Great Western States’ “Haunted”.
One track is mellow and heartfelt while the other is intense and atmospheric. And that’s by design.
“‘Haunted’ is about coming back to your hometown years after you left it, and ultimately realizing how things have changed,” Mann tells Vanyaland. On his own songwriting approach, Holiday Music’s Mike Hlady relays the following: “I feel compelled to write songs over anything else. Often times I don’t have a choice and do joke about how it’s a curse.”
Both songs complement each other well by both sharing a distinct emphasis despite having strikingly different tones. Check out both tracks below and enjoy.
