Just because something is unexpected doesn’t mean it’s always bad. The best of friends can be found in unusual circumstance or in settings you might not always frequent. Similarly, who doesn’t love finding a few dollars stuffed in the pockets of their shorts when summer rolls around? The same can be said of a band’s sound, as well. A group that does things a little differently and defies the expectations of what they might sound like often results in some breathtaking music. This is true of Calgary rock band YUNG JUDAS. Their blend of heavy rock sounds and mainstream pop melodic ideas is a delight, and can be heard on their new single “Unholy Ghost.” We’re thrilled to premiere the single here today, just one day before the release of the band’s debut EP For Megan.
“Unholy Ghost” begins with a strong volley of guitar from Bryce Lokken and the powerful drumming of Ryan Kusz. You think you’re in for a heavy, heavy track, and in some ways you are. That instrumental doesn’t let up, with a thudding bass track laid down by Gordon Price humming in your ear as everything else crashes around you. Yet when Angela Valiant’s vocals come in, they’re a clean pop-influenced beacon in this storm of sound. Valiant and Lokken share vocal duties here, and their duet follows a decidedly catchy melody through the track. When the chorus is about ready to begin listeners may think they’re in for a wild, lightning-fast ride, but things slow down and become almost like a ballad. It’s wholly surprising, but that doesn’t make it any less amazing.
Lokken explained to us that the track is a testament to his own growth. He said “‘Unholy Ghost’ is about being unable to move on, move forward – in this case romantically, sexually, and emotionally. After a relationship of mine ended, that person had some very harsh words about my character – so in tandem with the grief of loss, I spent years struggling to prove a point to myself, and to her. At the end of recording For Megan, I realized that I had spent a lot of time and energy doing things to prove to someone – someone who probably hasn’t thought about me since – that I was worthy of love and respect. For Megan is admitting that it’s time to move on and to live my life for the benefit of myself, for my loved ones, and for my art. I no longer live to impress or win back a deified version of a person who was but a brief moment in a long life.”
You can listen to YUNG JUDAS’s new single “Unholy Ghost” below. You’ll be able to hear their entire debut EP For Megan when it drops tomorrow, December 19.
