Talley is a fresh indie retro-pop act from Denver, Colorado. After a painful breakup with his prior band of 12 years, (Torgo!), he was forced to become a solo act, an endeavor he never planned, but which has lead to him flourishing. Talley's first single "We Can't Stay" looks back with loving nostalgia to the music of the past while venturing forward to explore new sounds in current progressive Indie Rock. “We Can’t Stay” has an vintage and classic rock sound that makes the single pop.. With the iconic synthesizers and electrics that was popular in quintessential rock music in the past, “We Can’t Stay” atmospherically places you in a different time period where rock music felt more authentic and genuine. The most important part about it is fun and raw, setting Talley apart from most current artists. “We Can’t Stay” allows you to have fun while enjoying the vibrant and multicolored instrumental and vocals. "We Can't Stay" paints an image of cotton candy, roller skates, vintage teen love and baby blue cars. “We Can’t Stay” instantly brings a satisfaction sentiment while listening. Allowing your prosperous happiness to emerge!
Listen to Talley's new song "We Can't Stay". Check out our exclusive interview with Talley as we chat about the vision and meaning behind his new single. Be sure to stay connected with Talley on social media for all upcoming releases and news!
Hey Talley, mind sharing to our readers a little about yourself?
I'm a new Indie Retropop solo act hailing from beautiful Denver, Colorado. For over 12 years I led a progressive Indie Geekrock band from Texas. We reformed here in Denver, and after a year of recording and writing together, parted ways. Although a devastating loss and trial for me, it forced me to regroup and start my first official solo project, Talley; as it turns out, it was a blessing in disguise. I've been writing and producing two albums of original music simultaneously for the past year and a half now, and have also completed an album of covers to be released following my debuts.
We can tell you have a really fluent and classic sound. Do you have any inspirations for this?
I've found that most musical artists are embarrassed when they're called out for wearing their influences on their sleeve...but I'm actually proud when someone recognizes an influence because it's always been hard for me to define my specific sound. Others help you do this when they say who they think you sound like. I have such a vast volume of influences, they all sort of mesh together.
I love when people say, "You sound like ____" and it's someone I've never heard of, or ever consciously taken influence from, just as much as when people say "You sound like ____", and they're spot-on. The latter is far rarer, but just the other day on Instagram a new fan messaged me, saying "Grandaddy meets Starf**ker", and I liked that. For my debut album, I'm hyper-aware of the main influence for each song, but for my follow-up, I'm trying to allow my subconscious to take the reigns, and I don't even really know what the sound is yet; it's new.
In my own description of my umbrella genre: Indie Rock or Indiewave, and microniche: Retropop. Genre is hard to describe, and the majority of musical artists stray from this, sometimes to the point of entirely desiring to be un-defined, much to their own detriment, I believe. My training in Savvy Musician Academy teaches quite the opposite of this approach; that microniche definition is key to search engine optimisation, and fans and music-lovers alike love genre titles. It helps people to find your drop in the ocean of the internet! Here's the official description of my sound: Indie Retropop: Spacey Synthesizers, Scratchy Guitars, Layered Harmonies, and Quirky Rhythms. Cutting-edge Indie Rock and modern Electronic Music meets 70's Rock/80's New Wave. RetroFuture music.
In what 3 adjectives would you describe “We Can’t Stay”?
"We Can't Stay" is a deliberate homage to The Cars' 1984 album Heartbeat City, particularly the songs "Magic" and "You Might Think". It's a Talley love-letter to The Cars. Three adjectives? Glittery, Optimistic Eighties.
Do you plan on releasing a video alongside “We Can’t Stay”?
I'm primarily a filmmaker and am in the works to release a video for "We Can't Stay". Every month on the 25th through March, I'll be releasing a new single, with new artwork, promoting the upcoming full album debut, which will come out on June 21st of this year. By Halloween 2019, my follow-up, more electronic/experimental album will drop as well. I'm also finished with production on a tribute album of covers done in the "Talley" style, to be released Christmas 2019. It's a busy year!
Any exciting upcoming events?
Look forward to a crowd-funding campaign this Spring, where you can take part in helping me produce the records and related fantastical short films I'm working on with my crew! Join my e-mail list for more info on this: Music@BlakeTalley.com
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