San Diego alt-punk band Sitting on Stacy’s latest single “California” draws on punk influences and shows the group’s versatility with a more intense sound.
This single is a change from their previous discography—which seems to be influenced by surf rock and ska genres. The group draws heavily on their punk influences on this single, with singer Hoyt Yeatman exploring a much more intense vocals in combination with distorted instrumentals. With ripping guitar riffs and crashing cymbals, “California” stays true to a punk rock sound and may hint at a slight shift in sound for the band’s next album.
The song opens with a spoken clip which ends with the words “This might be the last thing I ever tell on earth, the last night I ever see the stars,” before opening into the main riff, which is enough to give you chills. The guitar fades to just the bass drum and vocals, only to return again with a strong riff and head-banging drum beat. The song mellows out just a bit for the chorus, which repeats “I’ve got enough of the sunshine in California, I’m gonna move back to my hometown in Montana.” Although the lyrics of the song do not seem to relate to each other entirely, the tone of the song seems to be a sort of confident angst.
The vocals fluctuate between a growling rock sound as heard in the verses and the clear and confident sound in the chorus. There are clear influences of punk and ska genres in the vocals, which is of no surprise if you are familiar with their previous releases.
With this new single and a potential album on the way, Sitting On Stacy’s growing popularity could signal a new wave of ska punk in Southern California.
The band is playing a show tonight with Ultra Q (formerly Mt Eddy) and Destroy Boys at the Che Cafe in San Diego. If you can’t see them tonight, catch them in Santa Barbara with Strange Case, Dudeo Perez, and Pancho and the Wizards on May 24th.
Take a listen to “California” here:
