Great American Canyon Band Share New Song 'You Were The One'

08-08-2023

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(CC) Great American Canyon Band are back with another new single "You Were The One", the latest from the Nashville by way of Baltimore/Chicago band. It's a smoldering and expansive indie rock ballad that lets the dual vocals of Paul and Kris Masson (evoking The National and Slowdive) radiate among the atmospheric guitars and steadfast rhythm section that form the track's foundation. The new song comes on the heels of this spring's release of the song "Fade Away" which garnered a warm reception from fans and critics as well as national airplay via NPR's World Cafe. The new music is their first to be released since their acclaimed 2016 debut album Only You Remain, which was praised by the likes of NPR, Stereogum, and The AV Club among many others.

"There are millions of songs that celebrate 'new love,' but 'You Were The One' does not." share Paul & Kris of Great American Canyon Band. "It is a rare tribute to the profound beauty of 'old love,' delving deep into the intricacies of enduring inside a relationship. We wanted to hear a song that had been written by artists who have weathered storms and savored joys, and for us this song resonated with that sort of nostalgia, wisdom, and unbreakable sense of connection 'old love' carries. It was an attempt to create a vibrant portrait of cherished memories that transcend convention and touch the soul."

In 2016, Great American Canyon Band released their debut LP Only You Remain on Six Degrees Records. The album organically garnered millions of streams and Spotify editorial placements, as well as critical acclaim. Throughout 2016 and 2017, the band supported the record, touring the country and performing at festivals such as Noisepop and SXSW, while receiving airplay on notable radio stations, such as WXPN, KCRW and WNYC.

For Paul and Kris, Only You Remain was the beginning of what lay in wait for their songwriting. After two years of supporting the record, they moved to Nashville and went deep into their writing process. What emerged was a body of work that was adventurous and dynamic. The band booked recording sessions at The Smoakstack Studio and began to hear the new songs taking shape. Each time the record button was pressed, what played back through the speakers was nothing short of a sea change moment. What had been an indie band with aspirations was becoming a rock band realized.

Over the course of 2019, the record continued to take shape with Matt Boyer moving to Nashville to be a full-time member of the band. Then in March of 2020, the world shut down. In relative isolation, and knowing the record needed to be fully experienced live, they used this time to continue to explore and realize, without limitation, the record still writing itself inside them.

In the summer of 2022, the band entered Sputnik Sound Studio and began mixing the first single from their forthcoming Sophomore record with Grammy award winning Producer/Mix Engineer Vance Powell. he moment you hear Matt's soaring guitar and the thunderous drum entrance on the single "Fade Away" you are taken a-flight by what the band has created and is now uniquely capable of. The shared lead vocal workings of Paul (Rhythm Guitar) & Kris (Bass Guitar) in their close harmony style singing alongside this immersive soft/loud composition carves new artistic possibilities in the rock, alternative and pop genres. Matt Boyer's lead guitar playing, now a featured part of the band's sound, is a spectacle in tone, dexterity and dynamism, securing his spot amongst guitar greats.

GACB's new music was recorded inside of an unprecedented moment and yet creates an intense sense of time and place that feels declarative and triumphant. The songwriting of Paul and Kris Masson strikes an elegant and impactful balance of tenderness and urgency. The themes and ideas are immersive, even voyeuristic. Such earnestness could be an artistic risk during a complex cultural moment, but the band was never after something perfect, only to be intrinsically fallible. They never wanted to lose the importance of what they are as a band whose songs sit naturally beside their idols but are uniquely their own.