You heard (and saw) it first on Majestic Journal: Locals Only Sound’s newest single (and video) will stir up a whole range of emotions.
At Majestic Journal, our “Fresh Sounds” feature aims to showcase not just the latest tracks from our favorite up-and-coming artists, but those doing things differently. In our latest feature, we’re premiering Locals Only Sound’s latest single, “Become,” with the first look at their accompanying music video.
Emotions run high in “Become,” the newest single from Toronto-based collective Locals Only Sound. The song is from the group’s debut project titled “Opus 1,” which they define as more of an extended EP or mixtape.
Gray Hawken and Curtis Smith, the two driving forces behind the group, have unified as one through their congruent musical backgrounds: Smith comes from a classic rock upbringing, while Hawken was raised in a musical family surrounded by jazz and days in choir. The result? Locals Only Sound, where a medley of genres interbreed with the duo’s individual style to create something completely unique.
“The core of our vibe and style is from the alt-electronic and R&B world because that’s the feel we’re living now, but it also takes in influences from rock and the singer/songwriter genres.”
With hindering melodies and lush vocals, “Become” exhibits the group’s vibe to perfection. The track represents a full spectrum of sentiment, with lyrics like, “Let me hold you closer / cuz I’m hating getting older / and before you have to go / just know that I’ll become the one you used to know,” which one could interpret as a breakup, and the transition from lovers to strangers that comes with it.
However, the accompanying music video is the piece to capture the bulk of emotion. Filmed entirely as an inverted black and white video, it’s difficult to recognize any of the displayed figures and faces. The silhouette sings about a woman throughout the entire track, but she does not appear until the end of the video when the two are reunited, which is then followed by a contrasting piano fragment.
Not only does Locals Only Sound operate as a music collective, but it is a production company that has refined a number of reputable artists like Blaise Moore. Locals Only Sound have also remixed work for Grammy-winner Alessia Cara, and passed on some of their production talent to major pop stars like Jojo.
Locals Only Sound’s “Become” is out now via Universal Music. Watch and listen below.