You can C Halfloves LATER (March 7th that is)
Iowa indie rockers Halfloves are getting set to release new track, “C U Later.” This follows up their late 2022 single “Hospice” and is out just days after you’re reading this. I got a chance to listen to the track a bit early to give you a taste of what’s to come as well as speak to songwriter Jeff Roalson about the vision of the song and the future of Halfloves.
The entire track is built around this simple, but effective, five note guitar part that doesn’t so much add any hype or suspense as it reels back the curtain and keeps you centered amongst the story it’s trying to tell. A story, I might add, that is boldly phrased and delivered with a cold casualty. Lyrically, to me at the time of outlining this review anyway, the narrator is speaking of someone they relied on to be by them but has been showing signs of wavering that loyalty only to be confronted with it at some sort of party or gathering.
You’re dancing with your friends and signing all night long
I’m heading out, I’ll see you later
Aster: To start, there is a lyrical boldness which, to me, feels like calling someone out for leaving someone else on the back burner. Talk to me about the basis of the narrative and what that means to you.
Jeff: If anyone is being called out, it’s myself. A lot of my lyrics are fairly open to interpretation but I think it’s important to start from a very personal place and then decide how much the lines of reality and fantasy will cross. At its core, this song is about those watershed moments in life when one choice can open up a new future and close the door on another. Sometimes it freaks me out how susceptible I am to the tides of circumstance. It’s easy to think we’d always stand up for what we believe in or for the people we love but if I’m honest, I’m weaker and less grounded than I’d like to admit. I think a lot of people like to fantasize about their dream life; myself included. The heart of “C U Later” is really about duality. That title phrase could be closing a chapter or opening a new one, maybe both, and I guess I like exploring the tension and range of possibility. The verses are kind of dark and seductive while the chorus is more of an elated daze that’s looking back over the past and wondering how you even got here. It’s never perfect but growth and new horizons can spring out of dark places.
While those five notes never truly go away until the song’s climax they are built upon slowly, beginning at the first chorus. In it they’re uplifted by what sounds like more guitar tracks as well as some subtle, yet angelic, backing vocals. As time goes on there is some gentle rhythmic picking and even more building vocals.
Aster: Speaking of the song structure as you mentioned, it occurred to me that most of the song is a five note piece of music underneath things subtly changing around that bit as opposed to just being led by it. To me, music gives me an image and this sounds like a quiet scene happening in a louder party. What would you say the vision was there for the instrumental?
Jeff: The main vision behind the instrumentals is that while you're right about the chords not changing a whole lot, the feel from the verse and chorus is very different. In a musical sense, it mirrors the lyrical themes of a life that's consistent in some ways but also has its own contradictions and shifting emotions.
Also have to again compliment just how bold this story being told is. As it progresses the author has let all their feelings out; discussing being left on the back burner and will not hear otherwise. But still staying open minded to the fact that you allowed this person in for a reason and not wanting to just let them go. Stylistically the track as a whole, but chorus as a main sonic throughline, reminds me of some 90s era pop rock especially taking inspiration from English bands of the time.
Right when you think the track is stagnating with its homebase notes we mix it up with a beautiful post chorus section leading into a short solo. Now the song's basework takes on new forms; becoming harsher, lighting up on a synth and spread out like a heart missing its beat.
Aster: Another question I had about the sound of the song itself, and I'm always a bit nervous comparing artists, but I get a lot of the feels of 90s alternative music, especially of European bands that came up around that time. Was there anything in particular being listened to when this song took shape? Or do those things happen more naturally?
Jeff: I think for me, Arctic Monkeys have always been a musical influence and that comes out especially in the verses of this song. The rest of the band will always add their own personal touches and while I don’t hear much Radiohead influence coming through in this one, that’s probably the band around which all five of us most stylistically converge. I suppose Radiohead could certainly qualify as European alternative music, especially in the 90’s. Outside of that, my family did live in France for a few of my early teenage years so maybe there’s just some residual European rock sounds still trying to escape my head and find a second life.
“C U Later” drops this Tuesday, March 7th and you’re not going to want to miss the release, be sure to follow Halfloves by following the links below and as always I want to thank Jeff and the whole Halfloves camp for letting me see what they have coming later and taking the time to talk to me about it as well.
Aster: Finally, how does this song fit into the future of Halfloves? What's next for y'all after this song comes out?
Jeff: Currently we’re just writing and recording songs without thinking about an album too much. Eventually I think we’ll find some connective musical tissue that starts showing us what the next album might sound like but sometimes it’s nice to be really unrestricted with songwriting. That way there’s no pressure to kill a song that doesn’t fit the vibe you think you want to pursue or similarly, there’s no pressure to write a song that’s created to fit a vibe but lacks inspiration or any real creative purpose. Right now, we’re just trying to cultivate the joy of music that got us excited about writing songs in the first place.
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