Philadelphia artist, Indigo Out has just released his latest single, Just What Is, and we’ve been taking several listens here at the Send Me Your Ears studio today.
The first thing that hit us about this song is how appropriate we feel it would be for a TVsync. It feels just like the closing credits of a light drama or comedy, perhaps about a relationship that has come to an end.
“after all I’m still holding on cos I don’t know when to let go”
Just What Is starts on some gentle picked electric guitar before the full band sound and vocals join in. Indigo Out is a solo artist, Mark Savidge – (Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keys, Production) and he takes every opportunity to highlight his musicianship on all instruments throughout this song.
With OMD influenced vocal production and feel, we love how the subtle harmonies come and go and sit smoothly under the lead vocal, blending comfortably to produce a warm and inviting feel.
Throughout the track, there is some great, but gentle, rise and fall – the electronic feeling drums come and go and there’s a lovely breakdown instrumental section with just guitar and drums.
Some rather new-age feeling pads and synth sounds add to the overall dreamy and calm feeling to this song and its simplicity is its charm. Exploring the theme of accepting the here and now, Just What Is manages to keep you very much in the moment throughout the song. You could almost feel this being featured on a 90s downtempo chillout compilation.
From a production perspective, we’d suggest cutting the bass guitar just a notch around 70-80Hz and boosting the kick drum around 55Hz to separate them out a little and make more space for the kick. Maybe try a boost around 250Hz for some extra fullness and warmth and a boost of the top octave for more air and brightness. Just What Is is a little quiet and perhaps some extra compression and limiting to add an additional 5-8dB would bring volumes more into line with commercially produced tracks.
Just What Is really is a beautiful and gentle dream pop style track with many 90s influences from artists we love. Indigo Out has nailed the dream pop genre, whilst still maintaining plenty of individuality. Great stuff. More please!