Park Days shares the vibrant yet heartfelt debut single ‘Down And Out’ (Wednesday 12th April). The new side- project of Brighton based Dutch Criminal Record band member Sam Thrussell, the single comes fresh off the back of the band’s recent appearance at this year’s SXSW.
A breezy soundscape built around bright, jangling guitars, a gently swaying beat, driving bass, and subtle synths, the track utilizes Sam’s impeccable ear for melodies and simplistic yet impactful and affecting indie-pop songwriting. Opening with a pitch shifted guitar riff, the track wastes no time setting an upbeat sonic tone which is soon contrasted by the reflective, melancholic lyricism as the boxy, lightly distorted vocals glide above the soundscape.
As comparable to The Strokes as it is Blur, Park Day’s sound captures the refreshing indie tendencies that Dutch Criminal Record have become acclaimed for whilst also injecting Sam’s unique approach as a solo artist.
Speaking about the track, Sam shares: “Down and Out was written in the August of 2020 at the time I was experimenting with a guitar tuning used by folk artist Nick Drake and
so it started out as an acoustic song about processing loss – something experienced by many people especially that year.
When demoing I was too lazy to set up a mic so just plugged an electric guitar straight into my computer and as a result the song transformed into a full band arrangement to my mind evocative of something The Strokes might write. I tried a number of times to record it myself but couldn’t get it right so went to Rob Quickenden at Ford Lane where we tracked it in a day. After getting the main song down we experimented with different ideas in the afternoon including adding organ and toy pianos channeling our inner Pet Sounds.
Overall Down and Out is for everyone trying to find peace and catharsis in circumstances outside of your control.”
Having spent a long time perfecting his craft within Dutch Criminal Record, Sam has experienced a lot of success with the band including sell out tours across the UK and Europe across national radio (BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6 Music), tastemaker press (Wonderland, Clash, Under The Radar, Earmilk, Atwood and more) and Spotify Editorial Playlists. Now launching an exciting new outlet for his solo material in Park Days, Sam is hoping to build a successful lane for his material to run alongside the upcoming DCR releases.
The debut single ‘Down And Out’ is released April 12th.