Girl at the Rock Shows

What is chamber- folk music? What does “Keluarga” mean? Who is Townsend? Honestly, I had so many questions as I hit play on this new song from this Seattle-based sextuplet but, as soon as I hit play on this song, I didn’t care about any of those questions. All I cared about was the music and how it was hitting me in such a powerful way.

This song is sweet and very very chill but there’s such an emotional power behind it. It’s odd as I wouldn’t say that this band has a “wall of sound” kind of vibe but the layers throughout this track make their sound feel a bit more overwhelming than one would expect. It’s a perfectly crafted track that is polished so well yet all of the emotion that seems to fill this song gives it an almost raw quality that, again, was not quite expected. There’s whimsy, there’s power, there’s playfulness, and there’s heart. What more could you ask from a song?

As if my words weren’t enough to explain to you just how powerful and beautiful this song is, let’s hear what Bobby Odle of the band has to say:

““Keluarga” is a deep dive on the relationship of family dynamics and mental health–with a heavy focus on grief and suicidal ideation. Each verse characterizes my current relationship with my two sisters, my mom, and my dad with the final verse reflecting on how losing my older brother to cancer as a child colors those relationships, even well into adulthood. While the verses illustrate my family dynamics, the choruses are an exclamation and lamentation of the difficulty that those with trauma and neurodivergence often face of doing all of the things we are told to do to be happy (i.e. go outside, have a loving family, etc.) but still struggling fundamentally with wanting to be alive. I wrote this song and composed the ensemble parts to be more visceral and intense than most other Townsend’s Solitaire songs on purpose to exemplify what this feeling having a family that loves you while still struggling with these things of grief and suicidal ideation often feels like.”

“Keluarga” is part of the band’s upcoming record ‘Glad To Be Alive’ which should be out at the end of June so, if you like what you hear here, be sure to follow this group on their socials so you don’t miss any other singles or the full album!

Townsend’s Solitaire on Instagram

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