Church Pants is the indie solo project of Isaac Forde, born and raised in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area. He was influenced by the grunge/rock alternative era of the 90’s and the indie rock revival of the 00’s which motivated him to sit in his basement and fabricate a song that he’d like to listen to himself. The lively instrumentation and high energy of Bloc Party, The Strokes, and The Killers have inspired Isaac to make music teeming with bright guitars and danceable grooves.
Church Pants released their long-awaited EP titled “Tired, but Happy” the jam packed track list contained with mixed emotional singles and flaming guitar chords will have you stunned! The first song that plays on this EP is titled “Exhausted”. “Exhausted” Instantly begins with a fast paced guitar and drum combination rhythm setting you become attracted to by immediately hearing. The lyrics seems to have a sense of nostalgic emotions while projecting his sentiments in a charismatic and energetic manner. It was a great opener for the EP. The next single that transitions in is called “Bad Cop/Bad Cop” has the same energy “Exhausted” had, however the tone of the song is more dwellsome and less light-hearted. The hasty single shows off their capability of switching from the usual outgoing sounds and tunes and transitioning into something more serious.
After “Bad Cop/ Bad Cop” settles out, my personal favorite track on this EP “Croft” comes in. “Croft” was completely different than the other songs off this EP. “Croft” was way more soft and mellow compared to the other up tempo and highly energetic tracks on the EP. the guitar chords were more melodic and canorous, showing us a side of Church Pants that was greatly appreciated and accurately timed in the correct chronological order of the EP. After “Croft”, “Longest Winter” comes in with this sense of contentment. Not too upbeat, not too slow, just perfectly in the middle while Church Pants continues to deliver their usual sense of passionate projection.
The closing track , “Hold Me Closer” really showed us the diversity Church Pants is equipped with. The delightful tune starts off with this folk sound bringing warmth melodies and a sense of home in the ending of the EP. Church Pants vocals on this track felt more genuine and sentimental and it’s why I loved it. The vocalist has a real powerful and dynamic voice resonance with significant amount of rasp and I’m glad we were able to really hear that talent against a backtrack instrumental that wasn’t too detailed. This EP showed many facets to Church Pants musical personality and it was way too magnificent.
Listen to the full EP here and get to know Church Pants in our interview below!
Hi Isaac, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
What’s good Buzz Music readers! Please find me interesting.
How did you form the name “Church Pants” ? any inspiration behind it?
I tried to think of the most non serious name possible. Growing up, everyone’s parents buys them school clothes or Sunday outfits. I was always getting grass stains on what my mom and I called“ church pants” which I later learned everyone just calls “khakis”. As much as I like my list of band name ideas, Church Pants just seemed funny to me and not too serious.
What attracted you most to the grunge rock era of the 90’s and 00’s?
My dad actually played a lot of 90s music growing up. When I started listening to music on the Internet, I realized a lot of stuff I liked was because those albums were already on in my house. I started learning how to play songs by Foo Fighters, Sound Garden , Weezer but I really got into guitar when I heard Bloc Party. They were featured in video game soundtrack and when I heard it I thought “I want to make music like this.” It was fast, phrenetic and it was the first time I heard guitar with such life.
What was the result of your first project?
This is my first release
In 3 adjectives how would you describe your EP “Tired, But Happy” ?
Energetic, Bright, and self-reflective
What inspired you to name the EP?
The songs of the EP surround the past 4 years of my life, with the exception of “Bad Cop/Bad Cop”- that was just for fun. I worked long hours at a brutal entry level job, would come home, sleep 4 hours, then do it again. I was always desperate to spend time with family and friends but rarely had the energy that they deserved, but those were still some of the best times. Relatives would ask my mom how I was doing and she would often just say “he’s real tired, but he’s happy”. This EP is meant to reflect the feeling of being tugged in different directions.
Which songs off “Tired, But Happy” from your artist perspective you believe is the most impactful?
That’s tough. Each one is pretty unique in its theme. I think Exhausted musically displays my character and energy the most. However Croft might impact people most for its tenderness and joy despite dwelling on losing someone. It’s less informative and more of a window into the mixed emotions with letting go.
Were there any challenges you’ve faced during the creation of “Tired, But Happy”
I think having confidence that I was making something people would listen to is a challenge in itself. I’ve only played these songs in my basement before this so it feels particularly revealing. Also I didn’t have a working bass guitar for half the project. And my guitar strap broke, dropping the guitar and smashed the input jack. You know, first EP stuff.
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